the election, new phase of orthodontics, 3 day weekend

 last tuesday was election day. the big day had finally arrived after so much anticipation. we voted by mail in (drop off) the week prior. i don't miss waiting in line to vote in person, but i do miss the energy of going to a polling place, seeing your neighbors there, etc. we were so filled with hope that we were going to see the first female president elected.

i treated myself to a donut after the gym and listened to christmas music all day to keep the anxiety away. i started watching the coverage at 3:30 pm PST (90 mins earlier than i was planning on). we watched as a family til 10pm (with a break to eat dinner). for almost everyone we know, including us, it was a really hard night. watching so many votes go for trump, a man who has shown his true colors time and time again. who continually mocks people in this country who don't look or think exactly like him. he is everything we teach our children not to be. it's completely disheartening to know that so many people in this country support him. i shed some tears as i headed to bed that night. 

wednesday just felt heavy with people waking up to the news. i got together with vanessa in the morning and you could just feel the sadness radiating off people everywhere we went. i'm thankful we live in a blue bubble, but it's hard when everyone is so sad. we are all grieving what could have been, as well as what is to come. i hope it's not as bad as we fear.

thursday morning i took azalea to the orthodontist for the beginning of her phase 2 treatment. you might remember she had braces when she was 7 years old (i actually saw in my timehop app she got braces 6 years ago to the day). they wait another 5-6 years to do the next phase so their mouth can develop. so now it's time. her appointment was to get updated measurements taken and she will go back again the first week of december to pick up her invisalign. no braces this time. she also had soccer practice that night. 

friday ashford had sports club after school and then we made dinner and watched 'uglies' for a movie night. it was good! thatcher is reading the book series now. 

saturday morning i took ashford to his hair cut appointment. we found out the woman he's been going to for ~ 2 years is moving out of state next month. we are really bummed because she was so great with him. we lounged around at home for most of the afternoon. i took azalea to michaels to get some craft stuff. we watched another movie that night, 'harold and the purple crayon.' i loved that book when i was a kid and the movie was cute and funny. 

sunday morning azalea and i were out the door bright and early for a 9am soccer game in shoreline. they were forecasting rain for a lot of the weekend (and the coming week), but somehow we got a dry morning. it was a little chilly, 48 degrees, but not bad. her team won 3-1, which was really exciting.

 i took her to starbucks after for holiday drinks. in the afternoon ashford went to arlo's for a few hours with their friend sebi. in the evening, sisi came over for a sleepover with azalea. i took them to 'umami' for ramen (their request). thatcher and ashford had their own date to 'tangerine thai.' thatcher and i watched a movie in the evening while the kids played video games. thatcher put lights on one of the trees on our deck that is waiting to be planted at our property this spring. it's bringing me joy :) 

today is veteran's day. thatcher is off work, and the kids are off school. i technically have to work, but it will be quiet because it's a bank holiday.