Passport Saturday

It seems odd that it is time to re-new the girls passports.

They didn't travel exotically with them. Although they did go to France. And Canada, which I don't consider foreign since I could look across the Peace Bridge and see Canada as a girl... So, please save your comments to the contrary for someone else, please.

But today,we did go to the post office and put in the renewals.

A couple of general thoughts.

Wow! They were really nice at the post office. I know that it was crowded and it turned out about a billion people were putting in applications today. You could identify people getting passports for children since everyone who knew the kid from when they were in the womb had to be present to ascertain that the process was legit. The Post Office personnel were sweet and funny... they were evening competing amongst themselves to determine which of them received the application with the funniest passport photo. The lady who dealt with us acknowledged that she was LOSING this competition. Although, I did show her my photo to help her along... I am pleased to report, it did her NO GOOD! whee!

On the way to the Post Office, i got to lecture les filles about the responsibilities of citizenship as well as their luck to be born in a country that grants citizenship for something so simple as birth within its borders. This is not something that is granted universally. Germany, for instance (where generations of gastarbeiters have traditionally been denied citizenship even being born in Germany for GENERATIONS ((Which changed after 2000, but STILL, Christ, what do you have to do!?)))

Personally, I was sad to surrender the old passports.

And would you want to surrender these?

And weren't my girlies adorable? I know that they still are now... but this just makes me want to cry. They look so young and innocent. Imelda still does. I know MonAnge is too, but she likes to cover her innocence in a layer of cynicism which, personally I can understand, but at the same time, regret.

Sigh.

It makes me wish we were back in France.

And yes, Dr. Randy, I have taken my sweet filles to Paris!