Today’s news reaches into several ordinary parts of family life: Head Start has new supplemental funding and a separate proposal to change its federal standards, Missouri faces conflicting orders over congressional districts, an appeals court is hearing another abortion-pill challenge, and Iran’s nuclear file is being reported to the U.N. Security Council as renewed fighting pushes oil prices higher. Each story has consequences for families, although proposals, hearings and temporary orders need to be distinguished from changes already in effect.
Meanwhile, I have announced a comprehensive improvement program of my own, otherwise known as deciding that this school year I will be a joyous mother who does all the things. There will be eggs for breakfast, snacks after school and a woman standing in the kitchen who appears to have slept. I mean every word of this, but I also have ADHD, so my sincere intentions should not be mistaken for a legally enforceable breakfast guarantee; I will likely fall short a few times, cereal will probably make a guest appearance, and I will try again the next morning.
Unfortunately, the planning committee failed to account for the axes. My husband and I recently acquired some beautiful carving axes from Wood Tools, the business of father and daughter Robin and JoJo Wood. Their story began with Robin teaching spoon carving and wanting a better axe to recommend to beginners; JoJo helped develop something that would work for a smaller, less powerful carver as well as an experienced one. Their aim is to make tools that people will use for years and eventually pass along, which is an awfully lovely ambition for something I immediately intended to use on a stick.
Around 7:30 last night, I began carving a branch my husband had limbed from our western red cedar, and your guess is as good as mine as to when I came back inside. We sat in the garage together, quietly carving, and I honestly think it was among the happiest moments of my entire life. My woodland hero, the architect of my imagination, my sounding board, sitting beside me while we made wood into slightly different wood; apparently this is the luxury experience I have been seeking.
We have also decided to learn guitar together, because he’s always wanted to and something about his wanting to makes me want to. I have traditionally been more interested in pianos, but marriage occasionally means finding yourself emotionally invested in an instrument you had not previously budgeted for.
I finally fell asleep around two in the morning, which gave the newly improved school mother very little time to complete her installation. After approximately five alarms in seven minutes, because my ADHD and I negotiate consciousness in two-minute installments, I got up, did the dishes and made breakfast for my oldest, my bonus boy, before his second day of school.
I made egg in a basket, something my mom used to make for me and something I remember affectionately from V for Vendetta. I had envisioned a tender intergenerational moment, but the initial customer feedback concerned the breakfast shake and whether eating the banana was strictly necessary. I know my ADHD buddy, though, and I know he appreciated it, even if the gratitude department was still processing.
By seven, he was completely ready, having accomplished in half an hour what last year required ninety minutes, lists, reminders and at least two full gallons of frustration. He wanted to leave immediately, but school didn’t start for another hour and I had to explain that independence didn’t require an extended demonstration of cold resistance outside the building. He waited until 7:45 on the dot, then took himself to school on his electric scooter while I attempted to comprehend the fact that we have reached the taking-himself-to-school stage. We’re figuring this out together, he and I, although he seems considerably more comfortable with the growing-up portion.
My daughter visited her pre-K classroom today and played while I met with her teacher, then objected to the unreasonable suggestion that we eventually go home. I’ll be writing her name on everything, organizing her supplies and putting a cute label on her backpack while quietly experiencing an existential crisis over my sassy, strong-willed, empathetic, brilliant little girl beginning this next chapter. I will report back when I’ve come to terms with it, so please don’t arrange your schedule around my return.
Ezra, my sweet baby pie, my mister boy, remains my favorite, which is both forbidden to say and inaccurate because they are all my favorite in their own ways. His particular specialty is making everything wrong with the world disappear for a minute when I look at his little fat face. He contributes random noises to conversations because he would like his participation recorded, laughs when his dad plays with him, crawls around inspecting his kingdom and is beginning to walk, which I feel should require my written consent.
Yesterday was also my mom’s birthday, and while I won’t be disclosing her age to the public, apparently the mailing lists have been briefed. She received advertisements for hearing aids and senior living, which is quite a bold birthday greeting from people who would like her money. We had a lovely laugh about this over FaceTime this morning, and I kindly reminded her that I am 28, because I believe in supporting my mother with relevant information during difficult times. Please make sure to wish her a happy birthday, preferably at a normal volume and without enclosing a floor plan. There is so much to love here, even if getting ready for the day now requires a small administrative staff and several separate negotiations with time.
Then we bought tarps to protect the plywood and the lawnmower over winter, and discovered that covering something with plastic apparently belongs in the same budget category as sending it to finishing school. Between that and the grocery bill, I am considering bread making, butter churning, oat milk production and whatever other household enterprise might make feeding everyone feel less expensive. Knowing me, I would save three dollars on bread after acquiring a specialized table, an heirloom apron and a deeply complicated relationship with a sack of flour. For now, there are lunches to plan, names to write on school supplies and a budget that hasn’t approved the purchase of a dairy cow, which brings me back to the news.
On September 8, HHS announced more than $225 million in supplemental Head Start awards, including over $89 million for nutrition, over $88 million for facilities and over $47 million for one-time operational needs. The nutrition funding reaches more than 400 grant recipients and can support food preparation and storage, gardening and nutrition education; other awards cover projects such as repairs, transportation and equipment. These are targeted supplemental awards, and the announcement does not establish a permanent operating increase for every program.
Alongside that investment is the administration’s August 7 proposal to revise Head Start’s federal standards. It would replace federal class-size and staffing-ratio limits with applicable state and local requirements, and remove detailed requirements for monthly mental health consultation, daily toothbrushing assistance and help navigating healthcare and insurance. It would also require instruction in English, with an exception for qualifying tribal-language instruction. Screenings would remain required under federal law, although programs would have more discretion over timing and implementation. The proposal remains open for public comment through October 6 and has not taken effect.
According to AP, administration officials project that deregulation could save more than $2 billion and help create over 200,000 additional slots. Head Start advocates question those projections and warn that financially strained programs may reduce staffing or services that become optional. The administration says providers would retain the option to continue their existing practices. My healthcare quality background is why I’m following both enrollment and the details of when, how and whether children receive the services described, keeping the new funding and proposed standards separate.
In Missouri, the immediate uncertainty concerns which congressional districts will be used in November. As JURIST reports, the state Supreme Court ruled that a referendum challenging the new map suspended its implementation pending a public vote, requiring use of the previous districts. On September 8, Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied the state’s request to pause that ruling, without explanation or referral to the full U.S. Supreme Court.
A separate federal case then produced a temporary order from Judge Stephen Clark requiring use of the newer districts. State officials argue that changing maps after the August primaries would disrupt the election; referendum supporters argue that the state constitution requires voters to have their say before the challenged law takes effect. The newer map was designed to improve Republicans’ prospects of gaining another House seat, but the competing orders leave its use unsettled while further litigation proceeds.
The abortion-pill case also requires a distinction between a hearing and a change in the rules. Today, the Fifth Circuit is hearing arguments in the Louisiana-led challenge to FDA rules allowing mifepristone to be dispensed through the mail and certified pharmacies. AP reports that Louisiana has asserted an interest based on Medicaid costs and alleged complications; the dispute also involves prescriptions sent into states with abortion bans from states with protections for providers.
The FDA says its review supported removal of the federal in-person dispensing requirement while maintaining other safeguards, including certification requirements for prescribers and pharmacies. The ACLU, which opposes the requested restrictions, says reinstating an in-person requirement would create travel, childcare and employment barriers for patients. Its September 9 case update also notes that the Supreme Court has paused an earlier Fifth Circuit restriction while litigation continues; today’s arguments don’t themselves impose a new nationwide restriction.
There is a new diplomatic development on Iran today as well: the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors adopted a resolution directing its director general to report Iran’s safeguards noncompliance to the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly. The published resolution records 23 votes in favor, three against and eight abstentions, and cites unresolved concerns about nuclear material and inspectors’ access. AP reports that Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful and says military attacks have prevented safe access for inspectors.
The resolution itself imposes no new sanctions and authorizes no military action; it calls for a diplomatic solution. This is an escalation in the nuclear-verification dispute, rather than an announcement that inspectors have discovered a completed nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Brent crude futures climbed above $100 a barrel today as renewed attacks on shipping intensified concerns about Middle Eastern energy supplies. The United States sank five Iranian tankers, while Iran said it had attacked ten ships near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. disputed Iranian claims of damage to American vessels, and wartime claims about individual attacks require careful attribution.
Reuters also reports that shipping through Hormuz remains far below prewar levels. Disruption in that route can affect global oil supplies and fuel costs well beyond the countries involved, although a movement in crude futures doesn’t translate immediately or uniformly into prices at every local pump.
I will keep following these developments between writing names on school supplies and attempting to produce an after-school snack without accidentally beginning a six-hour woodworking project, because this is the life in which I read the news: children getting bigger, breakfast cooling, a husband beside me and a beautiful piece of cedar waiting in the garage. The school mother improvement program remains operational, although tonight its advisory committee would like me to consider sleeping.
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Shanley, I always enjoy your personal perspective. It reminds me that our children and grandchildren are why we’re fighting the fight. Get some sleep!
Re your previous comments about flooring...
I would rather spend my money on plants for the garden, so we opted for sheet vinyl when we redid the kitchen and baths, much less expensive than vinyl plank. Mannington is one of the manufacturers who produce thick, high quality sheet vinyl for homeowners.
My contractor was pleasantly surprised at how good it is because they are used to installing cheap stuff for rentals. They have up-to-the-minute patterns like stone and wood. The sheet comes in 12-foot widths, and we opted for flat lay on top of the subfloor, which means it's held down just on the edges, under the quarter round footer at the bottom of the baseboard. It could also be glued down. It wears beautifully, mops like a dream, and has a bit of cushioning for the feet. It's not as trendy as the LVP but I got the look I wanted within a budget that left enough money for other items.
Other affordable options include marmoleum and linoleum. Our local carpet sales folks carry plenty of other Mannington lines and were happy to order this for us after I got some samples from the company website. My husband likes having no seams that could leak or catch dirt.