Full Stop Motherhood
Its been quite the motherly week for me. My son started kindergarten, I took all 3 cats to the veterinarian for their yearly shots, I took the boys for haircuts, we've got the wading pool out....you get the picture. Today, in particular, was a lovely mother day for me. First I buckled Colin in our friend's car for his first carpool ride to school. I watched Spencer's diving/airplane show on the bed, and then we took off to the nursery for half-price perenials and crape myrtle. Once the car was full of flowers, we did our carpool pick-up duty and came home for an afternoon in the garden. We just took out a chain link fence that ran right through the middle of a very nicely designed garden bed, complete with a concrete border. The fence had been covered with honeysuckle, so my duty today was to remove the roots and move dirt to another bed that had no dirt (long story involving the city, the phone company, the electric company and lots of heavy equipment). I spent 4 hours digging roots out of my lawn and transferring dirt, but ran out of steam before I got to the garden bed! There's always tomorrow.

Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs and then the boys took off to Mardel for the latest Veggie Tale's video. I sat on the back porch and watched the birds examine my new crape myrtle while I did my Bible study. I could hear the little league team hitting balls at the school yard, the cicadas getting ready for bed, and children playing down the street. The cool (presumably Colorado) wind blew through my hair. And my children came running up to me with their new video.

Perfect.

I Must Protest
Protestors have hit the streets of New York just in time for the Republican National Convention. See photos here. Here's more. I always thought we were a nation that encouraged debate and recognized others' rights to hold and express differing opinions. It seems to me that swarming the streets (which, by the way, endangers lives in more ways than one), finding honor in attempting to drown out voices and expressing sheer glee at ruining an event for others is childish and, frankly, unamerican.

New Blog
Found a new blog tonight: eric dean goes to college. I was thinking about linking to one of his posts but, hey, the whole thing is delightful. So, I've added him to my Daily Reads and I hope you'll take a look. And don't miss his videos!

ITS KARAOKE FRIDAY NIGHT!!!

(Click here for background music)

I Just Want To Be Your Everything
by Andy Gibb
For so long
You and me been finding each other for so long
And the feeling that I feel for you is more then strong, girl
Take it from me
If you give a little more then you're asking for
Your love will turn the key

Darling, mine I would wait forever for those lips of wine
Build my world around you, Darling
This love will shine, girl
Watch it and see
If you give a little more then you're asking for
Your love will turn the key

I, I just want to be your everything
Open up the Heaven in your heart and let me be
The things you are to me and not some puppet on a string
Oh, if I stay here without you, Darling, I will die
I want you laying in the love I have to bring
I'd do anything to be your everything

Darling, for so long
You and me been finding each other for so long
And the feeling that I feel for you is more then strong, girl
Take it from me
If you give a little more then you're asking for
Your love will turn the key

I, I just want to be your everything
Open up the heaven in your heart and let me be
The things you are to me and not some puppet on a string
Oh, if I stay here without you, Darling,
I will dieI want you laying in the love I have to bring
I'd do anything to be your everything
I, I just want to be your everything
Open up the heaven in your heart and let me be
The things you are to me and not some puppet on a string
Oh, if I stay here without you, Darling, I will die
I want you laying in the love I have to bring'Cause I'd do anything to be your everything

Pink & White
This September, October and November you can purchase 8 oz. bags of pink & white m&m candies and 50 cents of your purchase will go to fund breast cancer research. Now that's a sweet deal.

This morning I fed my heart breakfast, combed its hair, watched it get dressed and buckled it in the car. I drove it seven miles and walked it into a building bustling with excitement. I then followed my heart as it ran down the hall to the new love of its life, Mrs. Higgins. Yes, my heart has gone to kindergarten. And he didn't even think to hug me goodbye.

Honey Bun, you sorta, kinda, well.....you could make that a little better....
Every day I think I've heard it all, and each day I'm proven wrong. Now here come the teachers who don't like to assign grades (and who are likely entrenched in moral relativism), totally convinced that red, and alas even orange, are too harsh for their tender young students. And the market responds with purple, yes, PURPLE, pens. We don't want to shock the young 'uns by pointing out their failures, we would rather simply persuade them in the gentlest of tones that perhaps they might want to make a few changes, if they please. Oh, brother!

Uh, Supersize That Please
I have a cell phone, but I can never find it in my purse when it rings. Its about the size of my lipstick (and the same grey color), so I usually pull that our first. Its much smaller than my wallet. It will fit in my pocket, but then I'd be dialing people without knowing it. I have the same problem with my home phone. Its not attached to anything, so its never where it is supposed to be. This is both a convenience and a frustration. Its lovely to retire to the sitting room for a private conversation, but if I should leave the phone there, I'm unlikely to find it until next Christmas. So, I sometimes dream of the old telephone days where you sat in the same place for every phone call and searched out an extra long cord, which would always be tangled into a crazy mess. Remember rewinding the cord around a pencil in an attempt to straighten it out?

Well, I've found a solution for my cell phone. Of course, I'll have to buy a larger handbag. But, still, I wouldn't miss so many calls! What do you think?

Orange Dreams
Somebody was searching for a recipe for Sonic's Orange Cream Slush today and found my blog. I don't have the recipe, but I do love those Orange Cream Slushes. They taste just like the orange dreamsicle push-ups I bought from the ice cream truck as a girl. Were those ever good on a hot summer day during a break from badmitton in the street or cycling around the neighborhood! If we get anymore hot days this "summer," I'm going to get one of those things!

These photos are a year old, but I just "scrapped" them for our scrapbook. Our capitol dome was just completed last year and we attended the grand opening gala, which included the most spectacular fireworks show I've ever seen. Last summer I took the boys to see the inside of the dome and the legislative chambers. As you can see, it is a beautiful building.
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Welcome, Friends of Dawn
Dawn Eden is having some trouble with her links this week while she switches servers. Lucky me, everyone seems to be linked to my blog! I've had about 45 new visitors today alone! For those of you who appear to be here by mistake, please stay awhile and relax. Dawn and I are e-friends, and I'm her biggest Oklahoma fan. Nice to meet you. ..and say, "Hi" to Dawn for me!

Update: Dawn says her friends are coming by a true link to my take on the RNC protestors. Whatever your reason for being here, thanks for stopping by!

Get Real
I spent a lovely afternoon with a friend. We ate lunch at a Mexican dive and then looked around an antique garden shop. Mostly we sat and talked.

"So," she started, "How is your spiritual life?"

This is not a girl who talks shoes. And its quite refreshing. We have known each other for years as casual acquaintances, but our friendship is growing past talk of the weather. We talked about struggles with daily Bible study, things we're trying to change about ourselves, lessons we've learned from God, and how we came to attend the same church. She told me her desire is for the women of our church to connect on a deeper level each time we see each other, and we discussed why people stay on the surface level of relationships. I'd love to hear my reader's thoughts on that issue. How many people are you completely real with? Do you discuss God and your walk with Him? Do you share your fears and desires? If not, what keeps you from it?

We also talked about my post on being set apart. It is related, really, to having intimate relationships. Would a "visitor" notice your conversations including Godly matters? Or would they see a focus on apparel, home decorations and food (or, even worse, gossip)?

I have a few friends who will ask me what I'm studying in the Bible, or how my spiritual life is. They hold me accountable, and I appreciate it. Everyone needs friends who lead to a higher ground, friends you can trust with confidences and count on to tell you the truth. I'm grateful for this new friendship, and I hope you'll be inspired to step out and strengthen your friendships.

Cool Cole
I just have to direct you to this post about my buddy Cole (age 5). Cole is my favorite child that is not my own. He is all boy, cute as a button with little freckles up high on his cheeks. His voice is lower than most 5-year-olds and its a little gruffy. One day he was riding in my van right behind me and said (in his lowest voice), "Hey Jan...wanna go to the fair with me?" It was all I could do to keep from laughing. He then proceeded to try to talk Colin into going to the fair. His angle? They could take their girlfriends and it would be fun! (By the way, he already has a girlfriend. I presume I was uninvited at that point).

I must also tell you about his little brother problems. Chase (age 3) has been copying Cole and its driving Cole bonkers. So, one day in the car Cole lowered his head in prayer and said, "God, please make Chase stop copying me." Chase, without missing a beat, lowered his head and said, "God, please make Chase stop copying me." LOL!!!! You've gotta love it!

Oh, Now I Get It
I have a book of brainteasers intended to test one's intelligence. I love the book and have tried to learn from the questions I got wrong as well as the questions I got right. There is one question that asks the reader to explain the behavior of two friends. After dinner, the first friend rushed to the bathroom to wash his face, while the other sat there and waited. What could account for this? The answer is the guy who left to wash his face had a clean face, so the guy who stayed behind assumed his was clean as well. But he was wrong, his face was covered with food, which is what his friend saw. His friend assumed he might be just as dirty, so he went to clean up.

I wish this lesson had occurred to me when I saw the cages the DNC put up for protestors. At the time, I wondered why they thought they might need cages. The republicans I know are quite civil and do not need to be caged like animals when they voice their opinions. It was very strange. But now I understand. The democrats assumed we would use tactics similar to their own imbecilic methods. Notice that there is no attempt at persuasion, this is merely a childish romp which, presumably, entertains the democrats while simultaneously vexing the republicans.

And in case you don't really get how much democrats hate republicans, you should see this poster, which depicts the view that republicans are exploiting 9/11 (and that all republicans are Christian). I'm thinking democrat Christians should definitely be aware of their party's stance on this issue. Frankly, I'm not sure how one confuses exploiting and avenging, or exploiting and preventing, but it may be another example of one group presuming there are evil intentions because the group doing the presuming has its own evil intentions.

(Thanks to Dawn)

Big Times
We had ourselves a big day yesterday. After working at the school (organizing shipments, delivering mail, cleaning toys, etc.), we headed downtown for our big adventure. We started at the Myriad Gardens (which now, unfortunately, charges for parking) and took the first trolley we found after running through the mazes of the botanical gardens. We got on the wrong trolley (purple line), but it was okay. It took us right to the Bass Pro Shop. We decided to look around. They children loved the big fish tank. We then took the blue line trolley and weaved through town to the new Metropolitan Library.

My children and I are regulars downtown. We love to ride the trolleys and play at Myriad Gardens. But in the few months since we've been down there, things have changed dramatically! The new theatre is nearly finished (and looks lovely), there is a purple line trolley and it goes to the Bass Pro Shop. The canal is extended. The new Sonic headquarters is complete. The Metro Transit bus station opened two weeks ago. The library is open. And there are several lots under construction. Amazing!

The library was beautiful. First, we were greeted by the new Rotarian water display (my boss was in charge). The children stuck their heads over a spout to find the water, which promptly hit them in the face. Pretty funny. The children's section has a yellow brick road meandering through. There are lots of computers and a media room in the back where children can watch videos. Yesterday a volunteer was there to watch children while their parents looked around the rest of the library. I don't know if it is a permanent feature, but its a nice one. Of course, my children stayed with me so we could go upstairs and find a flag book. The library is very calming. Its large, but seems smaller than I expected. Its a triumph for our MAPS program and I'm glad it was named after Ron Norick.

Colin's first composition.
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Paradise Lost
My sons and I turned on the tele this afternoon to watch the swimming competitions. Its a family tradition, you know, watching the Olympics with your parents. Seemed like good quality entertainment. Not to mention, you can incorporate lessons about perseverance and teamwork. But things have changed since I watched the Olympics with my parents. Lucky for me, my boys had run out of the room to retrieve some crayons when the commercial for Hawaii came on. It begins with an idyllic beach scene, apparently from the view of a woman resting on a beach towel. The camera pulls back and the woman is really a cadaver. Then the fast, pulsating music begins and we are assaulted with 4 images per second of gruesome death and destruction. Then two "cops" look over another dead body. The first said, "His head is chopped off." The second says, "That's Homicide!" with all the gusto of, "That's Amore!" Sick. Here's part of NBC's description of the show:

Murder. Drug-running. Organized cartels. The stories are as gritty as any urban
center, despite the idyllic surroundings. Where else would cops discover a
smoldering torso at the base of an active volcano?

Lovely. How many young children saw that this morning because they neglected to leave the room during commercials? This is how the media cares for your children, friends. Let's throw our TVs out the window, what do you say?

Oh, and if you want to let NBC know what you think of its advertising during the Olympics, use this address: nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com

Que Shiraz Shiraz
I had an excellent glass of wine in Enid last Thursday. While I'm pretty much a teetotaler, I do love a glass of red wine now and again, especially with good cheese. We had Yellow Tail Shiraz, but the hostess also recommends Rosemount Estates.

Just a side note most of you don't know about me: I took a college class all about alcohol and wine. Our labs were at a local hotel where we taste tested products. The class was actually one of my most difficult college classes. We learned how alcholic beverages were made (our exams asked us to describe the processes for different beverages like gin, rum, wine, beer, port...) and we had to know all the varieties of grapes and the different regions in Europe. We learned how to read labels, how to mix drinks and how to pair food with wine. We even took a field trip to a liquor store! It was a great class. (And, if you didn't know, I was a hotel and restaurant management major.)

This is me just before an October game in 1982. We wore costumes under our uniforms and made a quick change in the tunnel just before coming out for the half-time show.
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The Pride of Oklahoma
The Pride of Oklahoma (the marching band for the University of Oklahoma) is celebrating its centennial this year and plans to celebrate with a grand reunion on the field at half-time October 22nd! What a trip it would be! There is absolutely nothing like running on to that field with 70,000 fans screaming in the stadium, then highstepping as build up to "Oklahoma." The crowd roars. Adrenaline rushes. No matter how many times you do it, its a thrill every time. If you were in the band, don't miss your chance!

By the way, one of my favorite parts of game day was when the band gathered on the field after the game to sing the OU Chant a capella. If you want to hear it, go here.

Penny's Pot Roast

I've been trying to get Penny to start her own cooking blog, seeing how she is the most likely of anyone I know to whip up gourmet meals for her family several times a week. So far she hasn't taken the bait, so I am forced to share her recipes with you from time to time. Penny made this recently and, let me tell you, it was melt-in-your mouth delicious. I'm making it tomorrow (if I can get to the alchyhol store)! This is really the perfect fall dinner, but it feels like fall in Oklahoma right now, so why wait?

1 (4- to 5- pound) boneless chuck roast
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup dry red wine
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 bay leaf
2 large baking potatoes, chunked
6 carrots, peeled and quartered
Sliced fresh mushrooms

Make small slits in top of roast. Insert a garlic slice into each slit. Rub roast with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in a Dutch oven or skillet. Add onion and wine to roast in Dutch oven.

Combine tomato sauce and next 5 ingredients; stir well. Pour over roast. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1-1/2 hours. Add potatoes, carrot, and mushrooms; cover and simmer 1 more hour or until roast and vegetables are tender.

Transfer roast to a serving platter; spoon vegetables around roast, using a slotted spoon. Discard bay leaf. Spoon any remaining pan drippings over roast and vegetables. Yield: 8 servings.

I'm Back!
Hey friends! Sorry for my absence. We just had a few crazy days with no time to blog.

Thursday I went shopping for a new storm door at Home Depot. I finally chose a fine Andersen door, and I can't wait to have it installed! Our present door is at least 40 years old. The window doesn't stay open and Colin disassembled the closure mechanism when he was two. We have to slam it closed every time!

Thursday night was our first PTF officers meeting (parent-teacher fellowship). Dinner was incredible and because of the weather (about 75 degrees) we were able to eat outside. I knew but 4 people there (out of 30), but I think I'm going to like the group. They seemed quite genuine and the concerns that were raised related to making new families feel welcomed, being good stewards of money/property, and making Godly choices for our entertainment throughout the year.

Friday the boys and I headed to Enid to see Meg, my best friend from Enid. She now lives in Chicago, so I don't see her much. We started our day at Leonardo's and then ate a delicious Pak-a-Sac meal of cheeseburgers and onion rings. The boys played on the back patio overlooking a pond all afternoon and had bike races in the driveway with Meg's dad officiating. It was another beautifully cool day in Oklahoma. This is, bar none, THE BEST Oklahoma summer EVER!! We had a suprise phone call around 3:00 asking us to visit another friend, who had been called by an old friend who was in town from Albuquerque. We called one more friend and we had a mini-reunion! It was a welcome suprise. Hanging with friends you've known for 30 years is so very comfortable.

We missed the book passing, so I can't report on that. But the official opening of the new library is Tuesday at noon. Can't wait.

Peek A Boo!
Normally I'm not pleased when I see someone looking in my windows, but I'll make an exception any day for the little sparrow that is two feet from me looking in the window to see what's on my desk! Our fig tree rows right against the window at my desk, and as I type I can watch birds feasting on figs. They are usually too busy "stealing" fruit to notice me, but this bird is curious. And cute. My cat likes it, too. Hey little fella, could you eat some mosquitos, too?

Swift Quotes
See here for 18 comments by Swift Boat vets who served with Kerry.

Best Interview
I've been reading with interest some blogs written by law school students and lawyers. They take me back to my school days and my days with a litigation firm. School was great. The firm was not. I am sad to report I was terrible at interviewing with firms. I am good at interviewing for most things, but I never had a grasp on what firms were wanting. Now that I see blogs from attorneys who interview, I can see that I never had a chance anyway. Comforting and disheartening all at the same time. I didn't really want to be a litigator anyway, but I did want to have the chance to turn it down! Instead, I pretty much just collected rejection letters. I would joke that I was planning to wallpaper my bathroom with them once I had enough.

Well, the end of the story is that I got the job of my dreams and I love it even after 8 years. I'm glad for my short-term experience with a litigation firm because I learned I never wanted to go there again. I don't waste any time wondering, "what if...." And I wish I had conducted some interviews like this. That would have been fun!

Italian Tomato Rounds

Small, Italian tomatoes, sliced thin
Olive oil
Basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning
Cream Cheese
Garlic
Melba Toast

Dredge each tomato slice in oil and lay flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with herbs. Bake until soft. Cream together cheese, herbs, and garlic. Spread on toast. Top each with one tomato.

Earth by Colin
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Heaven (Jesus and God) by Colin
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McHelp!
I drove over to McDonald's tonight to pick up some of their delicious new salads for dinner tonight. I was the only one in line at the drive through. I paid at the first window and the clerk dropped some change as he was handing it to me. He looked down, then walked away! Turned out it was only a penny, so I didn't say anything. I moved on up to the second window. A 19-ish blonde girl handed me my drinks then said, "Could I please get you to pull up and I'll bring your food to you."

"But, there is nobody in line behind me," I said.

She just looked at me as if I had spoken Klingon. I went on, "I think I'll just stay here since nobody is behind me." She glanced behind me, then back at me with a blank, 'are-you-disrespecting-the-drive-through-girl' look and she went to check on my order.

About two minutes went by and she came back to the window and said (in a deadpan voice as if she had never seen me before), "Could I please get you to pull up and I'll bring your food to you." This time there was somebody at the paying window behind me fumbling through her purse for money, but she hadn't even paid yet and her food wasn't ready. Another employee said, "Why are you parking her? Her food is almost ready." So I stayed. And stayed. It still wasn't ready, so I pulled forward when the lady behind me actually pulled up close behind me. Incredibly, they brought me my food before they gave her's to her.

The whole thing was kind of funny and kind of sad. The girl lacked all ability to assess the situation and act accordingly. She was like a robot with a short. The usual staff at this particular restaurant is very good (except for the fact that they skimp on ice), so I doubt blondie will last long. Hopefully she'll learn something before she goes.

My Alpha Phi (pronounced "fee") pin with chapter pin attached (Phi).
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Pledged
I just finished the book Pledged (see below for link). It was interesting despite being the most poorly written book I've ever read. I, myself, am/was a sorority girl and I picked up the book to see if it was accurate. For the most part, it was. I didn't experience the drugs and the sex that the book "reveals," but I'm sure some of my sisters did. It just wasn't a part of daily, in-house life. According to the book, some sorority houses have "drug rooms" and the girls get drunk in their own bedrooms before going out. Although the sorority girls I knew did plenty of drinking, I never saw it in a house. Even after I left OU and found myself "house-less" at OSU, I spent a good deal of time at the Kappa Delta house. I never saw alcohol there, either. I did, however, witness several personal Bible studies there. In other words, don't believe everything you read.

The book did take me on a sentimental journey through my first years of college, though. I haven't thought about many aspects of sorority life for years. I had forgotten about candlelights, formal meetings, formals, rush and even initiation. I now remember trying to learn the greek alphabet and the names of all the founding members of my sorority. I remember interviewing members and learning protocol for formal meals. I remember learning the sorority way to sit while rushing a girl, and keeping small pieces of paper hidden under the couch cushions so we could make notes about the girls we were rushing. It is all so surreal.

I didn't really plan on being a sorority girl. A highschool girlfriend talked me into it. I decided to go through rush just two months before it began. While other girls had been planning for years and had spent the summer shopping in Dallas for the perfect rush outfits and getting the perfect haircuts, I was scanning the sales racks in my home town just days before rush began! I was terribly naive about the whole process. Its a good thing, or I may have been terrified! Luckily all my friends mothers had a great liking for me, and I got recs (recommendations) for a lot of good houses. Mrs. Gooch was determined to make me a Kappa, and I wanted to be one because she wanted me in so badly. They probably kept me around longer than they wanted because of her glowing rec, but they finally cut me just before Preference Night (the final night of rush).

Once I was in a house, I found myself a little embarrassed about it. I didn't really want a sorority girl image. My house had chosen me for my grades, so they let me and a few other girls (we were the top three in our class) do just about anything we wanted. I skipped a lot of parties and I didn't have to do any study hours (most girls were required to do 15 per week at the house). By the time my pledge class went on a retreat in October, I didn't know any of my sisters except the three that came from my hometown!

I'm really glad I was in a sorority. I learned a lot from it. I had some fun. I made some friends. And, I suppose, that's what its all about.

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Hey.
Not much to report this weekend. Had lots of work done around the house today (notice I didn't say "did lots of work"), my favorite aunt and uncle came for a visit (too short) and my uncle fixed my sound card. Finally took a shower at 9:30 p.m. Did some scrapbooking last night at 7 Minutes. That's about it. Not feeling very witty or introspect. I did start reading a book today: Pledged. Can't put it down. More later. Hope you'll still come back some day soon.

The new library for downtown Oklahoma City opens this Friday! We will be participating in the ceremonial book passing in the morning, and the ribbon cutting/opening will be at noon! Can't wait! (www.metrolibrary.org)
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I was looking for a specific photo last night and came across a stack of highschool photos from my mom and dad's days back in Kentland, Indiana in the late 1950s. This is Lynne, for whom I was named (middle name). The inscription on the back reads: "To Frank, One of the nicest boys I ever went with. Good luck in the future and watch out for those girls. Love, Lynnie."
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Making the Bed
I sat the children down at the table with toast and juice to buy myself 4 minutes to make the bed.

"Mommy, I'm full. I can't finish."
"Mommy, will you take off my pajamas?"
"Mommy, where are my pants?"
"Mommy, look at this."
"Mommy, can I go outside?"
"Mommy, I need help with my shoes."
"Mommy, did you see this?"
"Mommy, where are my flags?"
"Who took my pencil?"
"Mommy, where's Daddy?"
"Mommy, what are you doing?"
"Mommy? Mommy? Does your head hurt?"
"Mommy? Are you going crazy?"
"Oh, okay, can I go outside?"

Entitlements, Schmentitlements.
Give me a break.

Religion in the Workplace
A Florida woman was fired this week for eating bacon in her employer's cafeteria. The employer is Muslim and forbids pork on its premises. She's suing under the theory that employers must accomodate religious practices in the workplace. Interesting issue, isn't it? I'm going to weigh in on the side of the employer in this case. People can certainly choose where they work, and if you don't like a no-pork rule, perhaps you should move on. If I decide to open my own business, I would like to have some control over my working conditions. I may not want to sound an announcement that it is time for Muslim's to pray. I may not want cigarette smoke. I may insist that employees refrain from swearing.

I don't see how one can square the ideas that no religion is allowed in (public) school, but employer's must accomodate religion in the (private) workplace. Is it a protected right or is it not? If it is a protected right, the practice of religion should be allowed in public places, including school. But private employers are not state actors, so they should not have a duty to accomodate. Not to mention that the employee in question above was not eating bacon as a religious practice.

Amen, Brother!
I woke up this morning to stories from my friends about their days yesterday. Penny spent the day super-cleaning her kitchen with her brand new mopping "system." Immediately upon arriving home her daughter dropped her blue Sonic slushy on the floor, which burst upon impact to cover the kitchen in gooey blue droplets. Ouch.

Dawn had quite a day, which included a boa constrictor attack, a lost tooth, and her 2-year-old discovering he has excellent aim: he knocked down the ceiling light with a single blow whilst she was emerging from the shower all wet and nekked.

Parenthood, with all its rewards, can be mind boggling. You're always busy, but you never seem to get anything done all the way. No doubt you are actually accomplishing something grand, but its difficult to see it some days.

My third visit this morning resulted in another parenthood commentary from James Lileks, one of my favorite daily reads. Read his bleat, but here's a portion:

"It’s just different, that’s all. Anyone who’s home all day with a kid knows what I mean. Whatever train of thought you have is derailed every 45 seconds. That’s just how it goes. I’m lucky; when my wife comes home she takes over completely, and Gnat is in Mom-heaven. If my wife came home and plopped on the sofa, watched soaps or headed off to play golf, I think I would expel streams of hot liquid brain matter out of my ears. Is it hard? No. If “storming Normandy” is 100, then staying home all the time when a kid is a –10. Nothing I have ever heard at an office compares to the sound of Gnat saying “I love you, Daddee” because I fixed her computer or helped her put a dress on a Polly Pocket or found a lost Care Bear or gave her a new bar of soap for the post-pool shower. It’s just that sometimes you want to scream, because you’ve been Parent Robot since you got up nine hours ago. "

That's all I'm trying to say.

Hell in a Hand Basket?
The newlyweds decided to forego the traditional double-ring ceremony in favor of a double-tattoo ceremony, complete with woodland deities and and dancing faeries. If you'll take a peak at the photo gallery, around about number 9 you'll have a chance to see the tattoos of love. Or wait, what exactly do those tattoos have to do with "everlasting commitment"? Maybe I just answered my own question.

Colin's Art for the Day
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Investigating the "Matter"
Some jobs just don't pay enough.