I’m a proud PR mama, today. My daughter, a fifth-grader, is running for office at her elementary school. She disdained the offices of president, vice president and secretary to go for the gold: public relations. Today she delivered her speech (she wrote it; I only made suggestions, I swear) to the entire school and the election results will be returned on Friday.

When she first announced her candidacy, I asked her why she wanted the PR office.  She said the job would involve telling students about school events and generating excitement for movie night, open houses, book fairs and field day. She also liked the prospect of appearing on the in-school television network to share announcements. She’s excited about her chances, too. She’s the only girl running against two boys. “The boys will split the vote and all the girls will vote for me, so I’m sure to win,” she said. If only it were that simple for Hillary.

Future media master, PR executive, politician or event planner? The future looks bright from the doorstep of fifth grade.

Cross posted to www.standingprblog.com

*Update: Well. She didn’t win. But there were no tears, she shook the hand of her winning opponent, tucked in her pouty lip and decided to run for class representative. I could not be more proud. “Mom, I have heard that a thousand times,” she said. But I hugged her anyway and said, “You can never hear it enough.”

Filling out the girl’s application to play basketball. We’ll look back on this day when she’s in the WNBA and say, remember when . . .

Height: 5′6″
Weight: 115 lbs.
Age: 11

Nike will name a shoe after her. She’ll do a Got Milk? ad. She’ll host SNL. Just wait and see.

I flew to Orlando last week and my friend Ed was right; for everyone on the flight to Orlando, it was their first time to fly. Ever. There was a mix of delight and bewilderment among the crowd of the very young, the tense parents and the less frequent grandparents.

I experienced pacifier rage and obese child rage whilst observing a, perhaps five-year-old speaking in complete sentences around a paci and another, extremely portly child snacking his way onto the plane and throughout the flight. And then the kid in front of me across the aisle puked the entire bag of gummi bears mom and dad had been feeding her for two hours to keep her quiet. Hot gummi vomit is a worse smell than you might imagine. Yes, apparently I’ve lost my patience as a parent and can no longer tolerate traveling with children. I am the grumpy business traveler who glares at you when you yell at your crying child, trying to make her stop.

But then, I got to go to BlogOrlando, which was great, and spent the weekend with my sister — realizing only now that this is the only time in my life I have ever spent the weekend with just my sister. I’m 36. I was four when she left for college. We hardly ever even lived together!

So if you’re flying to Orlando, soon — don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And hey, you — spend some time with your sister!

P.S. No one at the unconference thought we looked anything alike and people did not even GUESS we are sisters.

Sunday morning I picked up a copy of The Road. I finished it later that afternoon. It was captivating, thought-provoking and heartbreaking. If you like post-apocalyptic novels, this book’s for you. I mean, it’s not a laugh riot, to be sure, but I did get a wry smile or two out of it.

It is a good, hard-to-put-down book, my favorite kind. It did, however remind me a bit of this book, also a good post-apocalyptic treat.  

Know of any other good end of the world stories I might like? I think I’m on a kick.

Read the Wikipedia review.

Or, if you prefer, what The New York Times had to say.

P.S. I peeled of the Oprah Book Club sticker because I don’t ever want to be accused of doing something because Oprah told me to do it.