Inauguration

We have a new President.  Madison has now been alive during the administrations of three Presidents of the United States.  Of course, as she gets older, she'll understand more the importance and impact of each one.  Obviously, when President Obama first took his oath of office, Madison was just two years old, and that wasn't much of a big moment for her.  But this week we've been studying the inauguration and government, and obviously with all the noise going on during this year's election, it's been hard to tune out what's been going on.  Politically, it's been a war.  But nevertheless, here we are at the end of one battle, and presumably at the beginning of another - but there hasn't been a shot fired.  Much is made of our political process, how we transfer power from one administration to the next, as everyone is reminded once more that the government is supposed to work for the people.  This was said a few times by today's incoming President, and more importantly, we heard plenty of prayers today, asking for God's help in leading this nation forward.  It's our understanding that it was a record number of prayers today.  We'll need 'em!

Madison saw some clips from the ceremony, and also some of the other events of the day, from parades to that first dance later on.  We've been reading about the Presidency, so it all ties together rather neatly.

She didn't watch the inauguration at school.  Our world is so partisan at this point that no matter who won, it would be too controversial to show a simple government function like this.  In fact, from what I understand 69 U.S. Representatives boycotted the inauguration, showing everyone the proper way to divide the nation further from this point on.  The word "snowflake" is being tossed around quite a bit lately, and it isn't made in reference to frozen precipitation.

Madison got some great grades back today - including a 102 on her science test.  She's doing really well across the board, in math and reading as well.  She had a funny answer to one math question about fractions.  The question read:  "Josie has 10 math problems to solve.  Sam has 12 math problems to solve.  Both students have finished 1/2 of their math problems.  Which child has finished a greater number of math problems?"  Madison's answer:  "Both finished 1/2."  The teacher didn't mark it wrong, writing, "That's one way to look at it!"

Other than fractions, she was writing about Hurricane Andrew a bit, based on some required reading.  Her sentences are full and complete - she got a "4" out of 3 on her answers about the hurricane:  "I was kind of surprised that the hurricane got through the thick concrete building because the concrete building is very strong."  And this one:  "The photos give some more information because they show the stuff that the hurricane did to Miami.  It adds to your understanding of the selection because it gives details of what the storm did."  Is this a ten-year old writing?

Anyway, needless to say, we're proud of her.  Tonight when Daddy got home, we began our Neverland-marathon.  We started with the live action version of the story, a movie called "Peter Pan" from 2003.  It really wasn't that bad at all - Madison enjoyed it.  We all did, sitting around the couch and heading off to Neverland once more.  We're doing all kinds of research for the upcoming series at KidPak, so it'll be fun visiting time and again.  We'll have some great messages out of this by the time it is done, hopefully.

So we read tonight, and read from the Bible too.  We're getting into some heavy territory here, in Genesis 18.  The story of Sarah is wonderful, at the edge of the Big Top - or tent, rather.  She's hearing how God is going to bless her in the coming year, and it's so wonderful she laughs in disbelief.  And even after it happens, she's laughing in disbelief.  That's the fun part.  The end of the chapter looms though, Abraham's visitors are heading towards a couple of cities with names everyone knows, for all the wrong reasons.

It was a historic day.  Before going to bed, Madison watched our current President dance with the First Lady to the song "My Way," and of course, there's a whole lot more going on up in Washington DC even now.  We said our prayers for the nation, for peace and unity.  That's something we desperately need, seemingly now more than ever.