"I've got a bum foot"

We've been having to wheel/carry Devin around the last several days ever since he got some weird puncture on his right calf last Thursday. It started off looking like a welt with a small hole in the middle, like the kind you get from a nasty bug bite, and Devin was complaining about his foot hurting. No clues from Ms. Tran, she had no idea.

Called off plans to go to the Hollywood Bowl (sorry, Hope and Dawn!)--he was cranky and the thought of having to navigate through crowds and traffic with no idea what was wrong made it a no-brainer. When we got home and took off his shoe, we found a blister on his heel. Also strange.

The next day, the welt turned into a bigger, nastier infection with oozing pus, and that blister ballooned to the size and shape of a slug. A whole team of docs was stumped: three doctors and a resident intern were poking at him. (Apologies to the faint-of-heart.)


A second visit to the clinic the following Saturday yielded two anti-biotic shots to his butt, and Devin howled in pain (man, it *looked* like it hurt!). He was a real trooper though, so we paid him back with his first taste of a lollipop, treated him to his first movie theater experience to watch Wall-e.

Yup, and with popcorn!

So getting sick or hurt doesn't always turn out to be so bad, right?

Oh yeah, and Allison and I just celebrated our 5-year anniversary. Things sure aren't like what they used to be.

Learning to share his toys

Rocko Bama

Did you hear Senator Barack Obama's speech last night after the New Hampshire primary results?

It's just a gross understatement to say that Obama is an amazing speaker. He has real talent and the capability to bring people together. As the New Hampshire primary results rolled across our TV set, we sat glued to the broadcast of Obama's "yes we can" speech. Tears of hope welled up in our eyes, and we were frozen still by his words. Yes indeed, something is happening in America. Devin had been comsumed by his toys, but halfway through Obama's speech, he stopped arranging his train tracks, looked up at Obama and all his supporters, pointed at the TV set, and said, "people are HAPPY!"

"Yes, Devin. That's right. That is Barack Obama, and people are happy because they like him."

"Rocko Bahma!"

"Yes, that's close," we agreed. We turned our attention back to Obama's speech,

We've been told we weren't ready. Or we can't. Generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of the people...Yes we can. Yes we can... [the crowd went nuts] Yes we can...It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists...Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants...Yes we can...It was the call of workers who organized...and women who reached for the ballot...Yes we can. Yes we can, to justice and equality. Yes we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can...

Devin looked up again at the TV and responded, "YES WE CAN!"

I realized that he'd learned that from the theme song song of Bob the Builder, that goes:

"Bob the Builder, can we build it? Bob the Builder, yes we can!"

We busted up laughing. Indeed, Obama can bridge many divides.