As the healthcare reform bill passed the House this weekend, it seemed like there was a renewed outcry of fear about the fact that the bill includes a government-run option that people will have opportunity to purchase.Now, it seems like most of the arguing about this healthcare sounds like this:The bill includes a government-run* option that people will have the opportunity to purchase.*Wherein we emphasize "government-run" (dun dun DUN!) as a hushed dirty phrase that has no other meaning than . . .

I may not be a cock-eyed optimist. But something about So You Think You Can Dance makes me feel a little better about the world. Who doesn't love a show full of fun dance numbers? It's part talent show, part eye candy, and part artistic expression. It's a reality show that isn't about celebrity or idiocy but rather about talent and athleticism and stamina and creativity. Not to mention, it's a big fat multicultural lovefest where art forms from a wide variety of cultural and economic backgrounds . . .

Yesterday I ran my first race ever, as a part of the training I am am doing for the Disney Half Marathon for Haiti. It was just a 5k, but it was a first for me. The race was a fundraiser for the school where my sister and mother-in-law work, so they were there, too, along with Mark and the kids. I decided to run ahead because I wanted to get the experience of running without picking up sippy cups or soothing tantrums along the way. Mark was gracious enough to push the double jogger and keep . . .

Okay, okay. Yes, I occasionally watch Oprah. But I gotta tell ya, this episode is one of the reasons why. I find it so fascinating to consider what other cultures are doing, and to think about what does and doesn't work within our own. It always shakes up my little American bubble to hear about how things are done in Denmark. I don't agree with all of it . . . but I think they're on to something. and one more . . . . . .

Last night, the kids seemed to be feeling a bit better, so we decided to take a family walk. I've been trying to run in the evenings, and Jafta always wants to come with me, so he ran alongside me while Mark pushed the girls in the jogger. It was actually really fun to have Jafta running with me. He kept up for about a mile and a half - running the whole way. He had his headphones in, which means that any time he talks he speaks at FULL VOLUME, assuming that we can hear the music, too. He was . . .