1st Birthday Party

"Stare into my eyes. Now give me more cake!"

We celebrated Diego's first birthday this weekend with family and friends - and cake.

Diego was surprisingly timid about the cake at first (not so timid about the candle flame, though).  But after a few exploratory pokes, he dove right in.

"What, is something on my face?"

"Did I get it?"

I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  

(But then I ran out of time and energy, so I used store-bought frosting - 

chocolate in the middle, vanilla on the outside.)

Since Diego was born in a snowstorm, we decorated the party room with snowflakes and streamers.

They might have hung a little low.

And what snowstorm is complete without an abominable snowman?

Happy Birthday Diego!

One year ago.

Today.

Impossible.

Civic duty

"Wanna know what I did with Mama today?"

"We called our Senators and Representative to ask them to oppose SOPA and PIPA."

"You might be wondering what those things are. I know I was.

I also didn't know how to contact our Congressmen, 

but Mama used Congress.org to find out their phone numbers.  

And here's a little Q & A for how to find out more, so you too 

can make sure that I have a free internet when I grow up."

Q: So, Diego, how can I find out more about SOPA and PIPA? And how are these unconstitutional?

"A: I'm glad you asked. First of all, SOPA stands for "Stop Online Piracy Act," which sounds like it would protect intellectual property and aid copyright laws. So does the 'Protect IP Act.'  

But they are terribly written. These acts open the door for censorship and circumvent due process. 

If you want more information, here is a great video explaining the ramifications."

Q: That sounds terrible, Diego! What can I do about it?

"A: That's easy. You just need to contact Congress. 

If you don't know who your Senators or Representatives are, 

or how to contact them, you can find out at Congress.org too.  

You don't even have to call like we did. 

There's a form letter you can use at the link in the above answer."

"I gotta say, it felt pretty good to tell my elected officials what I thought...

even if it was Mama doing the talking."

"And now for a well-deserved game of pinball!"