Passports, democracy and snoring

Mia had a fever Monday, so I spent Tuesday home with her while she recovered. We spent some time playing:


Despite still feeling a little under the weather, she managed to participate in her first civic duty. (Civic. Not bathroom.)I went to a church in our neighborhood to vote, Mia in tow. The last election was three months ago; Roy, a retired judge and leader of the gang, and the other volunteers gave me a hard time about not bringing the new baby. I walked in and Judge Roy clapped his hands, saying, “There she is! I knew you’d be here!” He spotted Mia’s car seat with a pink dotted blanket draped over it. “I see little feet!” he said of Mia’s socks sticking out the end. It wouldn’t be long before she needed a bigger car seat. I was the only voter there, so I put her seat up on the sign-in table for them to see. I pulled the blanket back and Mia was just waking up. She blinked slowly, eyed Judge Roy and burst into a joyful, toothless smile. The volunteers adored her.

“She’s so beautiful,” Judge Roy said as I walked with her to one of the three voting booths. “She must get that from her mama.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling her daddy for the past five months,” I said. I voted and slipped my ballot into the electronic counter. I thanked the volunteers, who made me promise to bring her each time I voted from then on. I left the church beaming. I was so proud to show Mia to the world.

I took her to get her passport photo taken. She smiled at the gal at Walgreens forever until the woman lifted the camera to snap Mia's picture. Mia's been putting everything - toys, clothes, feet, our dogs - in her mouth lately. As soon as she spotted that camera she switched from adorable to hungry. She leaned forward, mouth open, reaching for the camera just as the lady clicked the button. So this is Mia's passport photo, documentation of her efforts to eat electronics:

Leigh came home and we ate supper. Once again, Mia was a little miffed that she doesn't have teeth.

So she ate a book instead. Reading is delicious.

But it was a long hard day, and she still had a little congestion: