Watching Hillary’s DNC Speech With My Six Year Old

Seven years ago today, the second line showed up on a pregnancy test that I really did not think was going to be positive. I had been Googling all sorts of possible reasons I could have ovulated when I did, but not gotten my period. I alternated those searches with searching to see if every twinge or feeling could be a sign of early pregnancy. Pro tip: Everything can be a sign of early pregnancy if you search Dr. Google enough. Who knows if my ear ache, sore finger, or flaking nail polish were indications that I was pregnant, but I was.

That day seven years ago, I could never have imagined what my life would look like right now. That I would have a sarcastic, passionate, kind but infuriating six year old daughter, who woke me up to ask if she could watch Hillary Clinton’s DNC speech.

Friday evening, I mentioned that I wanted to watch the speech, and I told Lorelei a little about it. It’s not a secret that I was feeling the Bern, but I am so totally with her now. Sanders was my spirit animal, in all his beautiful empathy, solidarity, compassion, and altruism; Clinton is my solid and unapologetic second choice. She is a second choice I am proud my daughter was able to see, at the age of six, stand up and do something historical. Every day I think about all the things she will grow up knowing as truth, though hopefully never taking for granted. Our gay friends can get married and adopt children. We’ve had a black president. And now, by the grace of all that is sane in this world, we will have our first woman president (the alternative is such that I cannot even write coherent statements about it).

I wanted Lorelei to at least see the moment when Hillary accepted the nomination, to get a six-year-old’s understanding of how important it was. To not just know why Donald Trump is the scourge of the earth, but to feel how powerful and important it can be to be a woman.

Saturday morning, I was still in bed when Lorelei climbed in next to me. She immediately started bouncing on the mattress and asking, “Can we go watch that girl talk now?! Can we go watch that girl talk now?!” I preceded to tell her, “in a few minutes!” the next hundred times she asked me, until I finally had time to sit down for an hour with her, while Rowan was napping.

Pretty quickly, I realized I needed to capture the things she was saying. I’m a terrible Twitter user, but it seemed the perfect platform to share Lorelei’s words of wisdom.

Watching @HillaryClinton‘s speech with my six year old. Gotta live tweet her comments. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“can we watch trump’s speech so I can see how mean he is?” #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

She knows a bully when she hears about one

“Lorelei, with a heavy sigh, ‘I just wish Obama could stay'” #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Me too, Lorelei, me too. Though that would probably reduce my chances of getting Michelle to be my new best friend

“She’ll make good rules, but she’ll make different rules maybe.” Watching the DNC with my six year old @HillaryClinton #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“So, were there American flags at Donald Trump’s thing?”

Watching the DNC with my six year old. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Probably confederate ones, too

“Does Trump want to be president of the united states? Why can’t he just be president of Cleveland, or whatever it’s called?!” #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Reap what you sow, Cleveland, reap what you sow

“Did you not notice she said ‘when the war was over’? Why did she say that?! She’s definitely not Lincoln!” DNC with my 6yo #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

I mean. She’s not wrong…

“I’m sure. that more people. will vote. for her.” watching DNC with my 6yo #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Lorelei has spoken, let it be so

“Some people don’t believe in science?!?!?! Well anyways, science is real.” Watching DNC with my 6/yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

She said this with serious conviction

“Wow. She is doing SO good!” Watching DNC with my 6/yo. #loreleiDNC @HillaryClinton

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“No, not just odd. He’s mean, too!” Watching DNC with my 6/yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“I just wish it wasn’t her against Donald Trump. I wish it was it was her against a good girl. Or a good man.” DNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“Just SOMEBODY OTHER THAN DONALD TRUMP.” DNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

If she’d had popcorn this is about when she would have thrown it at the screen

“I believe in her.” DNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“He called women pigs? That’s not as mean as some other things. Pigs are just animals like us.” DNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

I mean, also, bacon

“I know why her husband and daughter are there. Because they. believe. in. her.” DNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Kid is disappointed the balloons falling aren’t water balloons. #metoo DNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Bill’s head may have exploded in pure joy if he could have started an actual water balloon fight

“If donald is mean, what sort of hairstyle does he have?” RNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

I like to call it the dead fox on a cheeto look

“If donald is mean, why does he have a good hairdo?” RNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC #WTF?!

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

I was not sure how to answer that

“WHAT?! THERE ARE NO GIRLS THERE!” RNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“Ok mom, I’ve got to tell you something. Can we not watch this?” RNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC #shedumpedtrump but she watched all of Hillary.

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement

“I like the good girl’s speech better is what I’ve decided.” DNC with my 6/yo #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

“You know what’s weird? Donald is one of the people who got the most votes. And he’s a mean person. Weird.” D/RNC with my 6yo. #loreleiDNC

— rhiyaya (@rhiyaya) July 30, 2016

Weird. And Scary.

{Edit} Lorelei hung out with my aunt yesterday, and I’ve been told she said, “You know what’s  cool? It used to be that no one thought a girl could be President. Now a girl might really BECOME President. I hope so.”