How is it, I can do exactly the same thing to my hair that I do every other morning — EXACTLY the same thing - but on some days, one side sticks out in a funny way?
Is it a change in the earth’s gravitational pull on that particular morning? Do the gods have their fun by mussing some humans’ hair on any given day?
Sigh.
A commenter asked the other day how Leo, our 7.5 month old Great Pyrenees puppy is doing. Well, he’s awesome. He’s everything we hoped for in a dog. He’s calm, sweet, well-mannered and is turning into a good watch dog. He also already weighs 81 pounds! He’s great with the kids, and even lets baby C. and cousin, Baby NC, toddle over and take a chew toy from his mouth with no complaint. We love him.
Twice in the past three years, E. has developed a sore that turned into a yukky staph infection. The last time was three weeks ago, when a pimple-looking bump on his knee became painful and swollen. It turned out to be MRSA.
Now my 6-year-old nephew, who plays with E. several times each week, has developed a pimple-looking sore on his lip which turns out to be, you guessed it, a staph infection.
E.’s most recent bout cleared right up with antibiotics, and I am sure my nephew’s will as well, but it’s a little scary. I mean, in both boys’ cases, the infection didn’t begin with an open sore that became exposed, but rather began in or under the skin, actually causing the sore.
I think I am going to do some serious household disinfecting this week while E. is at his Dad’s…
My wonderful brother in law made this amazing tribute to my father. Watch it and you’ll get a glimpse into the life of a special and talented man, and the family he loved raising. (And don’t miss Hank’s over-and-out at the very end 
)
I miss my dad.
I still can’t believe he’s gone for good. I keep thinking that maybe he’s just gone on an extended camping trip and SURPRISE, he’ll be back.
Or that’s he’s actually up on the roof, and we just can’t get him down.
My 12 month old niece, NC, is in a climbing phase. You can’t really leave her unattended for even one second.
I hated ankle boots the first time around - in the 80s - and I hate them even more now.
And speaking of shoes, I had never owned a pair of - how do you say it? - “sport sandals” until recently. I tend to like cute flip flops in the summer, and I am simply not a sporty shoe type of girl. But in a fit of temporary insanity, I spent $80 in July for a pair of Chaco sport sandals, the kind with the little toe loop.
AFter a month or two of wearing them here and there, I finally have had to give up and admit that these are perhaps THE most uncomfortable shoes I have ever owned. The toe loop cuts off circulation to my big toe, which as far as I know, is not some vestigial appendage, but something I actually need. I don’t really want to have my big toe shrivel up and fall off because of a pair of poorly designed sandals. The straps rub me raw, and the sole is incredibly clunky and heavy. I hate them. And even though J. and I now wear the same size shoe, she says she doesn’t like them either, and won’t take them.
I should stick to what works for me. That’s never going to be sporty shoes or “workout clothing,” in which I look beyond absurd (actually, a lot of people who wear lycra and spandex items in public also look ridiculous, but hey, at least I admit it about myself
Today is my birthday. It’s bittersweet, having lost my father so recently. Having a dead parent and now officially being “in my 40s” has the potential to make me feel Really Old.
But honestly, I am too busy to worry much about it. And I like being this age way better than I liked my angsty 20s. I do wish I had the flat belly I had before that 4th baby at age 39 blew it all to hell, but in general, this is a good age. I get myself. I know what I want and what I don’t want. I am happy.
Last night was a lovely pre-birthday evening. I was worried it would go badly, since E. had an unbelievable amount of homework to accomplish. Last year, this much homework on a schoolnight would have led to a complete meltdown on his part, but he’s much more chilled out and focused this year. So he just sat down and did it - for about three hours straight. He never complained. He never whined. He kept at it in good spirits until he had completed everything that needed completing.
And we had a good supper, all together at the table. It was spaghetti, and C. mostly enjoyed throwing hers all over the floor, but she was happy while doing it. The giant puppy did his job and cleaned it all up for us after she was done making her mess.
When E. finished his homework, he and his big brother and the giant puppy and I all went for a nice stroll around the ‘hood, just as it got dark. The air was cool, but not too cool. The boys were funny and jolly. It was a lovely way to end the day.
And then, C. gave me the best birthday gift of all: sleep. She went to bed around 8pm and didn’t really wake up for the day until 6:30 am. And I slept like a log.
Life is good.
I just read that Brad and Angelina, currently living in France, are eligible for almost $3,000 in monthly French child subsidies simply by virtue of the fact that they have six younguns.
No one expects the Jolie-Pitt clan to cash in, but they are technically eligible for a “nanny payment” of $975.84 a month, not to mention an “orphan allowance” of $508.97 for each of their three adopted children. The grand total, $2,592.81, would be payable by check each month.
(Wah! I want the “nanny payment!” Or even a nanny, period.) )
Those wacky socialists, paying folks big wads o’ cash to have babies. And yet, the French birthrate continues to lag behind even what is needed to replenish that country’s currently aging population. This would seem to disprove American conservatives’ oft-repeated core belief that social welfare support and services for families (like real maternity leave, subsidized health care, and even cash payments) only encourages slutty and irresponsible women to have babies they can’t take care of.
I have had some sketchy boyfriends over the years. Yes, I have. I’ll admit it.
And my little brother more than once tried to talk me out of continuing to see this one or that one.
But perhaps THIS would have been a more effective tactic…
If you happen to have Sirius radio, and you have nothing better to do today between 5-6pm EST, you can tune in and listen to me on this show, The Blog Bunker, where I’ll be one of the guests.
C. loved her first visit to an aquarium. She shrieked “CAT!!” each time a big fish glided by. That’s because at present, in C-world, all animals are “cat,” while all children and babies are “baby!”
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