Picket Fence Post

Item #1: Kids Pick the President

We adults cast our votes for the next commander in chief on Tuesday, that is if you haven’t already voted in those states that allow early voting.

But last week, 2.2 million Nickelodeon viewers made their choice: Senator Barack Obama, who won with 51 percent of the vote to Senator John McCain’s 49 percent.

According to United Press International: “Nickelodeon said it has held a kids’ vote every presidential election year since 1988, and children have correctly predicted the winner of four out of the last five U.S. presidential campaigns.”

The last time the kids picked incorrectly? Four years ago, when they selected Senator John Kerry.

Item #2: Bad Sports Mom

My November Parents & Kids column isn’t going to win me any popularity contests with folks on the sidelines of my kids’ sports and after-school activities. Why? Because it’s about what a bad sports mom I am because I don’t like how much of my family’s time the children’s activities consume. And I’m a tad bitter about it.

Item #3: Christmas Lists. In October.

My mother (*waving “Hi” to her as she reads this blog*) called me last night to request a list of Christmas gift recommendations for the Picket Fence Post-lings. As an organized person is wont to do, she would like to get her Christmas shopping done early so she can thoroughly enjoy the Yuletide season without the stress of racing around to stores.

However I wasn’t feeling particularly organized at the moment of her call, as I was still wrangling with The Eldest Boy over his Halloween costume. In fact, the subject of children and gift giving/receiving is a sore one in my household right now as The Spouse and I continue to debate The Eldest Boy’s birthday present. My 10-year-old Alex P. Keaton seems to think he can just return the gift he’d previously said he wanted and take the cash instead. This issue will be the focus of my December Parents & Kids column. (FYI — If you have any good Christmas list/gift anecdotes or suggestions, please post them in the comments section below.)

Therefore, when my unsuspecting mother brought up the topic of Christmas lists last night, my head exploded. Luckily she was on the phone and not at my house. Was a tad messy.

Sorry Mom. The list is going to take a while, unless, of course, you just want to get them clothes, which they really need. Pajamas would be good.

Image credit: Obama/Biden campaign.

(Seen at BlogHER: Christine Koh, Meredith O’Brien and Erin Kane)

It’s kind of cool when you go beyond the virtual, online world and actually meet — face-to-face — with the folks whose blogs you’ve been reading. It’s a strange, “Hey, you actually exist in the real world” type of moment.

I spent all day Saturday listening to and dishing with a number of gal bloggers who attended BlogHER’s Boston event. (It was, technically, in Burlington, though.) I wouldn’t have made it through the day without a gallon of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in hand (see photo above), and the several bottles of Diet Pepsi I drank, because I was utterly exhausted from watching Friday night’s epic Red Sox game. I was so dragging. Even slipped out of the last session because I was afraid I was going to fall asleep and insult the speaker.

I’m convinced that the Sox are trying to kill me, as well as all of Red Sox Nation with these games that end in the wee hours of the morning, a continued hazing of Sox fans as if trying to test the level of our dedication. Again. (Saturday night’s game was killer-late and although yesterday’s game started, mercifully, at 4 p.m., I’m still recovering from accumulated lack of shut-eye.)

Anyway, enough about the Sox. Back to BlogHER . . . where I met Boston Mama’s Christine Koh, a conference speaker. We’ve previously communicated only via e-mail about her blog, where she once promoted my book. She was very fashionably dressed. Put me to shame.

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Gal bloggers — including yours truly — will be heading up to Burlington, MA this Saturday for a day-long BlogHER event which will feature speakers such as Lisa Stone, founder of BlogHER, and Boston Mama’s Christine Koh.

The Manic Mommies podcasters, who are based in Massachusetts, along with Parents & Kids Magazine editor Heather Kempskie will be there, among other New Englanders.

Of course I’ll be toting a massive cup o’ Joe in order to make it through the first few sessions on how to bring you folks some exquisite bloggin’ goodness. But with Game 1 of the American League Championship Series featuring the Old Towne Team starting after 8:30 tonight, I’ll be in need of a gallon of java.