verbatim

Survey Says!

OK, here are the answers to Tuesday's quiz:

1. I can't stand the taste of beer.
False! I don't like beer as much as I like wine, but I still like it.

2. I was on my high school tennis team.
False! A whopping four people thought this one was true. I can't even describe how very false this one is. It's so false that when my sister Lauren saw it, she e-mailed me this: "Tennis? Har har har!" I don't think it would be so far off the mark to say that I have not ever once successfully returned a tennis ball over a net. So, I'm very flattered that some of you think I could have actually played competitively, but the truth is that I am a complete and utter spaz. There you have it.

3. I had a home birth for Julie.
False! I had a fair number of unanticipated complications with Stephanie's (hospital) birth and ended up very grateful that I happened to be at a high-risk birthing hospital. Everything turned out fine, but there were some very scary moments there. I know that many people say that most complications are caused by hospital birth procedures, but I just felt safer in a hospital. So Pete and Julie were born there too.

4. I once saw a real tornado, in Texas.
False! I've never even been to Texas. I think I might like to visit Austin some day, but the rest of Texas scares me to death.

5. I carry an epi-pen because I'm allergic to bee stings.
False! I've never actually been stung by a bee, so I guess it's possible that I'm allergic, but I certainly don't carry an epi-pen. Which is a lucky thing, because I'm quite needle-phobic.

6. I have never changed a flat tire in my life.
True! Two people guessed the truth. The only flat tires I've ever had occurred (or were first noticed) near service stations.

7. I went parasailing in Puerto Vallarta while in college.
False! But Lauren did!

8. I have a teeny-tiny tattoo on my . . . body, somewhere.
False! See the needle-phobia reference in #5 above. I even fainted when I got my ears pierced.

9. I was married once briefly before I met Andy.
False! Nope, I found Mr. Right on the first try.

10. I have no appreciation for opera music.
True! I must be missing that part of my brain. I just don't get it. I just don't want to get it, either. Go ahead and call me a philistine if you want, I can take it.

Thanks for playing!

So Long, Tom

From Andy Borowitz:

Actor Tom Cruise stunned the worlds of cinema and space travel today, bidding Earth farewell forever as he returned to his planet of origin.

At a launch pad on the outskirts of Malibu constructed specifically for his intergalactic journey, Mr. Cruise spoke briefly to friends, well-wishers, and Larry King, who was covering the launch for CNN.

"Farewell, earthlings," Mr. Cruise told the crowd. "My work here is done."

The actor then engaged in a twenty-minute kiss with his fiancée, Katie Holmes, whom he said he would "send for later."

(Via Pam)

Please Tell Me This Is a Joke

Here's the sort of sentiment that, when I read it, makes me have a physiological reaction. My eyes actually bug out a bit as I force myself to re-read. I start shaking. I can feel my blood pressure rise. What the hell is this country coming to?

"While the humanists are busy killing off their own offspring, they are really helping us. I am not saying we should approve of abortion for that reason," Smith says. "It is clearly a wicked act, one which, from God's perspective, is worthy of death. But we must not overlook the fact that those who commit this horrible act are nevertheless doing us a favor. By destroying their own offspring, they are killing off a source of future voters, the majority of whom would probably grow up to be just like their parents. Thus, abortion ultimately works to our advantage. It helps cleanse our society of future humanists."  — Henry C. Smith

(Via Bookslut)

Do You Know Me?

Tonight's your last chance to hazard a guess for Tuesday's "8 lies and 2 truths" quiz! I'll post the answers tomorrow.

And the Sheets Were . . .

DRY!!

Wet or Dry?

Pete was envious of Steph's sleepover last night, so he asked when he might have a sleepover. I suggested that we wait until he's consistently waking up dry in the morning. Which is sort of unfair, because I take him to the bathroom every night before I go to bed (10:00–11:00ish). (And he pees every night, although he's sound asleep and I am literally holding him upright over the toilet.) So, we agreed that tonight I would not go in his room. I feel fairly certain that I'll be changing sheets around 3:00 A.M. Stay tuned!

Sleepover

Stephanie had her first sleepover here last night. Her friend, Sophie, the one whose sleepover party Steph went to in May, came over around 4:00. They played, had pizza, had popsicles, watched a movie, and were in bed by 9:00. Then this morning I let them have Pop-Tarts and fruit for breakfast, and we dropped Sophie home on our way to swimming lessons.

Stephanie was out of her mind with happiness and excitement. Sophie is obviously not in her class next year (obvious because I already said that none of her current friends are with her), so I promised her we'd make a point to plan lots of playdates and sleepovers next year. I want to buy one of those inflatable Aero mattresses.

Ten on Tuesday

Eight Truths Lies and Two Lies Truths

I'm switching this one around, because it's more fun to think of lies. So, which two of the following statements are true? After a few guesses have been tallied, I'll post the answers in the Comments. (And, please, no spoilers from family members who know the answers!)

1. I can't stand the taste of beer.
2. I was on my high school tennis team.
3. I had a home birth for Julie.
4. I once saw a real tornado, in Texas.
5. I carry an epi-pen because I'm allergic to bee stings.
6. I have never changed a flat tire in my life.
7. I went parasailing in Puerto Vallarta while in college.
8. I have a teeny-tiny tattoo on my . . . body, somewhere.
9. I was married once briefly before I met Andy.
10. I have no appreciation for opera music.

Sunday Brunch on Monday Night

Sunday Brunch from more than a week ago:

1. Are you an organized person?
Yes, extremely.

2. What is one thing about your home that has to be just so or it drives you crazy when it comes to organization?
Paperwork! Lists, invitations, flyers, forms, bills, etc. I wish I had room in the kitchen for a real Command Center (a desk with file drawers, a bulletin board, computer, etc.). I do the best I can with a wall calendar and a bunch of folders.

3. Do you have one little nuance about your organization that most people consider to be a little over the top? What is it?
I leave post-it notes everywhere—expiration date for perishables in the fridge that have been transferred to Tupperware, name of garment that those extra buttons go to, reminders to myself on my keys or cell phone, and so on. Hey, it works!

4. What is your favorite organizational tool (bins, closet organizers, etc.)?
Folders.

5. Where is your favorite place to buy organizational needs?
Up until recently I would have said Staples, but I recently paid my first visit to The Container Store and thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Jews Rock!

If you are Jewish and like music, you have a fun few hours ahead of you browsing the JewsRock web site. I did embarrassingly poorly on the "Jew or Not?" quiz* and am torn on this burning issue: Who is the most embarrassing Jewish rockstar? Kenny G (nee Kenny Gorelick), Michael Bolton (nee Michael Bolotin), or Courtney Love (nee Love Michelle Harrison)? Who indeed? Via Grow-a-Brain, as usual.

*Which reminded me of a hilarious David Rakoff piece on "This American Life" years ago, when he was talking about how Jews play the "Who's a Jew?" game and Canadians play the "Who's Canadian?" game, so Lorne Greene was a "double triumph" for his (Canadian Jewish) family.

Movie

Last week we saw "Heavenly Creatures," a Peter Jackson film based on the true story of 15-year-old best friends Juliet and Pauline, who murder one of their mothers because they fear they'll be separated. The murder occurred in 1952 in New Zealand. Juliet was played perfectly by Kate Winslet, in her first screen role. (Interestingly enough, I learned via some Googling that Juliet now goes by the name Anne Perry and is a well-known mystery author!) I didn't care as much for the actress playing Pauline, Melanie Lynskey, who did a lot of scowling and glowering. My main emotion after watching this movie was terror that one of my daughters will grow up to hate me so much that she'll want to kill me. It was so obvious that these girls felt that the only obstacle to their happiness was this one horrible woman who deserved to die. That adolescent intensity and drama was portrayed perfectly.

You Can Be One Too!

Class

Last night I e-mailed Steph's current (or former, I guess, would be more accurate) teacher about next year's placement. She called me this evening to talk about it. She said she was really surprised that I was upset about it. I won't bore you with the details, but I did feel a little better after talking to her. I still can't say I'm satisfied with the placement, and I'm still not happy with what appears to be the method to the madness of placement, but I guess I'm not as rattled as I was yesterday. If the teacher is as good as I've heard, that will probably be enough. I hope so, anyhow. In any event, I was grateful that she called to discuss it.

Dog Days of Summer

Yes, it was about 100° today, but this post is not about the weather.

Today Pete got a small dog bite! Mimi, a friend of ours from school, walked by with her son and their two dogs. We've seen these dogs a million times, and our kids are always wanting to pet every dog they see (particularly Julie), so I've trained them that it's always important to ask permission first. One of these dogs is very jumpy and has scratchy nails, so Mimi holds him down while they kids pet him and the other dog. Well, it was the other dog who bit Pete's finger! Mimi was shocked; he's never bitten anyone in his 11 years and Pete wasn't even doing anything. Pete of course freaked out, and I carried him into the house to check out the cut, which was bleeding. Mimi was hollering after me, "He's had his rabies shot!" The cut was small (short and shallow), so I washed it out with antiseptic wash and put Neosporin and a band-aid on it. While I held Pete, Andy called our ped's office and spoke to the nurse. She said to make sure the dog is caught up on his shots, check whether the cut was still bleeding (it wasn't), and see whether it might need a stitch (definitely not). She said any signs of infection would show up on 24–48 hours, and to just redo the Neosporin and band-aid three times. Meanwhile, Mimi came right over with the dog's record of shots (she'd raced home and had her vet fax them) and fancy lollipops for the kids. She felt terrible and also wondered whether she needs to muzzle the dog now, or what. (And doesn't it figure that she's the one who spent an hour with me on the phone last night when I was upset about Stephanie's class placement for next year. So I was also feeling bad for her!)

We then took the kids to the camp open house; when we dropped off Steph's pills at the nurse's office, I double-checked with them about Pete's bite and they pretty much repeated what our nurse had said. So, we'll be on the lookout for any fever or swelling tomorrow and Monday, but I think he's fine. Very, very scary, though, to say the least. I have the kind of imagination that persists in torturous thoughts like, "What if it had bitten his face? What if it had bitten his finger right off? What if it hadn't had a rabies shot?" etc. I'm counting on all that wine I just drank at dinner to put me out of my misery for the night.

Meanwhile, it's kind of ironic that this happened. I've been meaning to post that the kids beg me several times a day for a dog. They are obsessed with every dog we see on the way to and from school. They swear they'll take care of it (yeah, right, like I was born yesterday). The thing is, I like dogs well enough, but I'm not a real dog person. And I'm most definitely not a walk-your-dog-in-the-dark-when-it's- raining-and-scoop-its-poop kind of person. But I'm the one home all day, so I'm the one who will end up taking care of the dog most of the time. Andy always had dogs growing up and would probably love one, but he's not home as much as I am. So, anyhow, I have a feeling this incident may quell the dog requests for a little while.

No More Teachers, No More Books

Sing along with me, everyone: "School's out for the summer! School's out forever!"

They usually mail out the next year's class placements on the last day of school, so that there's no one available to complain to after they arrive. But for some reason we got ours in this morning's mail. Pete's is fine; he has a teacher with a good reputation and he's with a good handful of his favorite kids. Steph's, on the other hand, was more than a little upsetting. She's not with any of her best friends, she's with nearly all of the Bad Boys in her grade (plus one Very Bad Girl), and she has a brand-new teacher. I'm really just beside myself. It would be bad enough if she had a friend or two and all the discipline problem-children, but she doesn't. This teacher better be a superstar.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: What time do you usually wake up each day? If you could choose your wake-up time, when would it be?
6:30.
8:00.

Soup: When was the last time you bought groceries? What store did you go to? Name 3 things you purchased.
Yesterday.
Shaw's.
Trash bags, baggies, Tinkerbell sunglasses for Julie.

Salad: How many books have you read so far this year? Which was your favorite and why?
Not as many as I would have liked, and not as many as usual—I would say fewer than 10. So far my favorite was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, for all the reasons I gave here.

Main Course: What is something you consider to be very elegant? In particular, what about that item/place/person conjures up the feeling of elegance?
I'm imagining one of those wealthy older women with exactly the right black dress, perfect jewelry, shoes, etc. Elegance needs to be understated, not in your face.

Dessert: Who taught you how to drive?
I think it was a combination of Dad, Lisa, and my high school drivers' ed. instructor. And I think it was Lisa (and Jeff, too, perhaps?) who taught me how to drive standard transmission. I miss clutching and shifting!

Friday iPod Random Ten with Selected Lyrics

Fire up those 'pods!

1. Memphis in the Meantime - Chris Smither
"I like country music. Sure, I like mandolin. But right now I need a Telecaster through a Vibrolux turned up to ten."
2. I'll Never Fall in Love Again - Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach
"What do you get when you fall in love? You get enough tears to fill an ocean."
3. Rebel Music - Bob Marley & The Wailers
"Three o'clock roadblock . . . curfew!"
4. Salsa No. V (Beethoven, Symphony No. 5) - Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion
[instrumental]
5. Green Eyes (live) - Kate Wolf
"Your green eyes, they don't miss a thing."
6. Midnight Lullaby - Tom Waits
"Dream of West Virginia, of the British Isles. When you are dreaming, you see for miles and miles.
When you are much older, remember when we sat at midnight on the windowsill, and had this little chat. And dream, dream, dream, dream."
7. Fool's Paradise - Peter Keane
"Drinkin' and gamblin' and stayin' out all night, livin' in a fool's paradise."
8. Streets of Baltimore (live) - Uncle Tupelo
"Well a man feels proud to give his woman what she's longing for, and I kinda liked the streets of Baltimore."
9. Girls Talk - Elvis Costello
"There are some things you can't cover up with lipstick and powder."
10. Dire Wolf (live) - Grateful Dead
"When I awoke, the dire wolf, six hundred pounds of sin, was grinning at my window, all I said was come on in."

The song I like most from this week's list: I love "Midnight Lullaby." Very sweet, romantic stuff from Tom Waits.
The song I like least from this week's list: Gee, it's a pretty good list. . . . Maybe "Fool's Paradise."

Hackers

Here's a fun quiz: Programming language inventor or serial killer? I got only 6 out of 10 correct: "Not bad, but it might be best to avoid a career in either law enforcement or I.T. recruitment." (Via Boing-Boing)

Refreshing Cucumber Salad

Today it happened to work out that Mom, Dad, Grandma, Auntie Phyllis, Lauren, Jen, and Brian all came over to join me and Julie for lunch! We had a grand old time, and Julie entertained us all. Along with our sandwiches, I made this pretty little salad, from Everyday Food:

2 English cucumbers (about 1 lb. each)
1 medium red onion
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayo (I like Hellman's Lite.)
2 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream (I had only whole-fat in my fridge.)
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Halve the cucumbers lengthwise (I first halved them crosswise, on the diagonal). Scoop the seeds out with a spoon and slice very thinly on the diagonal. Halve the onion crosswise and slice thinly. Combine the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Add to cucumber mixture, toss, and serve immediately. (Why immediately? I don't know. It tasted just as good at dinner as an accompaniment to ribs, instead of cole slaw.)

Bananas, Maybe. Peas and Kale? Dream On.

There was an interesting article in yesterday's Times about picky eaters (kids, that is). I guess I'm doing all the right things, although I have to admit it is terribly demoralizing to keep presenting the same foods over and over and be rejected each time.

In advising parents, Dr. Birch and other researchers said giving up was a bad idea, but so was resorting to Herculean efforts to force children to eat foods that they do not like.

"You have to find some kind of middle ground," Dr. Birch said. "If mealtimes become unpleasant occasions, it can lead to food dislikes, problems with regulating energy intake, and affect power dynamics in the family."

Studies find that some approaches are more helpful than others. Parents, research suggests, should model good eating. If they want their children to drink milk, they should avoid soda. Coercion is not a good strategy, nor is offering a reward or bribery like dessert.

Researchers say that as onerous as it sounds, parents should expose a child to a food at least 10 times before giving up. Most parents give up after five attempts.

Canada: Not Just a Continuation of the U.S. Anymore

Andy got up early this morning, picked up his dad, and headed to the airport. They were planning to fly to Toronto for some meetings and fly home tomorrow. Jerry had just gone a few months ago and hadn't needed his passports, so they didn't bring them (Andy's is expired anyhow). Well, this time they did need them. So Jerry switched to a later flight and went home to get his, and Andy canceled his flight and went to the office instead. I suspect Jerry's flight during the winter was more the exception and today more the rule. Andy said they also searched the car when they first arrived.

Benched Again!

Could it be that I was just not meant to have a bench in my mudroom?

1. December 2000–June 2004: Live in house without ever once thinking that storage in the mudroom is an issue.
2. July 2004–January 2005: Realize that mudroom is like a landmine, with shoes, boots, sporting goods, backpacks, mittens, hats, umbrellas, etc. everywhere. Search in vain for a piece of furniture to fit into only available space.
3. Early February 2005: Find dream bench! Be unable to get stink of cherry stain out of bench. Return bench and request replacement bench.
4. Late February 2005: Discover that replacement bench stinks too. Return and request refund.
5. March 2005: Find even dreamier bench! Learn with dismay of two-month backorder.
6. May 2005: Receive bench. Remove from box and discover that one leg broke off inside shipping box. Return and request replacement bench. Learn with dismay of one-month backorder.
7. June 2005: Receive replacement bench. Just before removing from box, notice large crack in top of bench. Return and request replacement bench, figuring "third time is the charm." Learn with dismay of one-month backorder.

Stay tuned for July installment....

No Room at the Inn in the Mouth

Steph and Pete just had their semiannual* dental checkups. Pete has a major crowding problem that will have to be addressed—he will likely need some baby teeth pulled to make room for his permanent teeth, and he might even need to have some permanent teeth pulled as well! I asked whether his jaw might grow to catch up in size, and the dentist said no, because jaw growth happens behind the back molars. The teeth that get pulled are usually the ones right behind the canines. Phooey.

*I prefer semiannual to biannual because the latter is also often used to mean every two years, just as bimonthly means every two months and biweekly means every two weeks. Semi- makes it clear.

Happy Father's Day

This morning the kids and I returned the Mother's Day favor and barged in on a sleeping Andy with a breakfast try and lots of cards and pictures. The kids get such a kick out of this stuff!

This evening was the annual barbecue/pool kick-off party at the club, which we've never before attended, and it was a lot of fun. The weather wasn't terribly cooperative, so it was a bit too nippy for most parents to go in, but the kids loved it. The club supplied the drinks (including a very respectable sangria for us grown-ups) and families brought their own food to grill plus a potluck of either appetizers, sides, salads, or desserts depending on the letter of the alphabet for their name. I made a very yummy salsa and served it with big tortilla chips:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 tsp minced canned chipotles in adobo
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1.5 cups chopped red onion
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

New Neighbors

Yesterday I went to pick up sandwiches for me and Andy, and who do you suppose was also waiting for an order? Jason Varitek, that's who! I didn't want to act like a baseball groupie (Don't get me wrong; I love the Sox—I'm just not one who follows their every move), so I just stuck out my hand and introduced myself and welcomed him to the neighborhood. We talked for a while bit about whether he'll send his kids to our school; he's not sure yet, because they go down to Fort Myers every February. Anyhow, we had a nice chat, and then his order came, and he shook my hand again and said he was glad to meet me, and that was that!

Earlier in the day I'd had a chance to meet a family that just moved in down the street. There's a girl Pete's age (they went to camp together last summer, in fact, but neither kid claims to remember), a girl Steph's age, and an older boy. The mom, Kathleen, is bright and funny and warm—I got that exciting, all-too-rare feeling of making a good, new friend! She already knows Pia from church, and their backyard abuts Rebecca's, so we four had great conversations over coffee. And then I met the dad, Atul Gawande, who just happens to be one of my favorite New Yorker staff writers, so that was a real treat for me! They are all nice and friendly, and all the kids were happily playing together—just what one hopes for when a new family moves in.

So, not such a typical day for me—in the good way!

More Books!

Those book clubs are so innocent and gullible, it almost makes me feel bad every time I take their books and run—almost. The latest is QPB, the Quality Paperback Book Club, which once again begged me to come back. They said they would send me 5 books for $1 each (plus shipping) if I agreed to buy one more book at full price within a year. Which is a good deal as it is, but they went a step further and said that if I ordered my one more book right now, the price would be 50% off and I wouldn't have to buy another book at all! So today I received the following books, along with a rather nice zippered duffel bag as a freebie: Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen, Runaway by Alice Munro, Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst, Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs, A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer, and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. The damage? A grand total of $27.44. And now I'm cancelling my membership in the club and will wait until they beg me to come back, yet again, in another few years. Suckers!

And exactly when do I think I'm going to have time to read all these great books? Sigh.

Another Pasta Salad

I couldn't go to Stephanie's class picnic yesterday (Julie and I are constant companions now that preschool has let out), but I did sign up to bring something. I was supposed to bring an "adult salad," which briefly made me think it was supposed to be something pornographic, perhaps with Jello and kiwis or something. Turns out it was just supposed to be something tempting for the adult chaperones at the picnic, regardless of whether the kids thought it would go well with their pizza and pretzels. So I made this lovely pasta salad. It's very easy, and it only improves as the summer wears on and interesting tomatoes abound! 

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Black Beans

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 lbs. assorted tomatoes, cut in wedges or chunks if large or halved if small
1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into little chunks
1 14-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
about 12 oz. dried pasta (I doubled this recipe and made 2 lbs. of farfalle, which was way too much; I think about 1.5 lbs. would have been closer to the mark. Any medium-small shape will work.)

Cook pasta, drain, and toss with a quick drizzle of olive oil back in the pot.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and a nice pinch of sea salt. Season with pepper. Add tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and black beans and mix gently. Add the pasta and toss gently to combine.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Your Own Sweet Way - The Notting Hillbillies
2. Sometimes I Forget - Loudon Wainwright III
3. Sunflower Slow Drag - Scott Joplin                   
4. Ride Natty Ride - Bob Marley & The Wailers
5. Real Fine Love - John Hiatt
6. Young And Beautiful - Martin Sexton
7. Not Fade Away (live) - John Hiatt/Radney Foster
8. Wish You Were Here (live) - Dave Matthews
9. Boots Of Spanish Leather - Nanci Griffith
10. I'm on Fire (live) - Bruce Springsteen   

Song I like most from this week's list: Ooh, this is a toss-up between "Real Fine Love" and "Boots of Spanish Leather."
Song I like least from this week's list: "Young and Beautiful"

FridayQ

FQ TOPIC: Bad.

FQ1: Something you like to do or say that's considered bad.
Hmm, can't think of anything....

FQ2: Something you like to watch or listen to that's considered bad.
Can't think of anything for this one either.... I guess I'm just an extremely classy broad.

FQ3: Something you like to eat or drink that's considered bad.
Alcohol, red meat, bacon.

FQ ASSOCIATION: Tell us something "bad" you associate with the following ten words:
movie: "AI" - the only movie I ever walked out of
song: Where to begin?
television: Reality shows. I've never watched one because they just smack of everything bad about popular TV.
place: my basement after a sewer backup
book: The Bridges of Madison County
taste: mustard
smell: mustard
sound: screaming baby
touch: the squish of a bug within a tissue
sight: gore

Friday Fiver

R-E-L-I-E-F

1. RE: your future. What lies ahead?
I've been thinking lately about how I'm moving into the next stage of parenting. Yes, Julie is still only 3.5, but at least we're done with (daytime) diapers and cribs and naps and so on. She's also such a good little egg; we can really do more fun family activities all together. I'm looking forward to a little more me-time, as well as being with my kids in a way that isn't so much about constant supervision.

2. Listen: what can you hear?
Pete counting to 20 for hide-and-seek.

3. Inner peace: Do you have it?
For the most part, yes.

4. Every once in a while, someone surprises you. Who did most recently?
Gabriela called today to say she'd had a baby boy in April and might be moving back to Boston!

5. Friends can come and go. Who has come into your life, and who has left?
My newest friend is probably Vinita, across the street. My most recently departed friend is Laura, who left last summer. I miss her terribly!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: What's one word or phrase that you use a lot?
Gee, I can't think of anything. Anyone notice a word or phrase I use too frequently in my blog posts?

Soup: Name something you always seem to put off until the last minute.
Planning meals. I feel great when I go to Whole Foods with a list of things I need for two nights' dinners, but that happens only rarely. All too often I'm scrambling to think of something to make, and there isn't time for anything elaborate. I don't know why, either, because I do like to cook and try new recipes.

Salad: What was the last great bumper sticker you saw?
"Visualize Using Your Turn Signal"

Main Course: If you could be invisible for one day, how would you spend your time?
You mean aside from following Johnny Depp around? Just kidding! Sort of.

Dessert: Describe your hair.
Almost shoulder-length. Dark brownish-reddish. Thick. Curly and wavy. See photo.

Last Day of Preschool

Yesterday was Julie's last day of preschool. The teachers prepare a terrific notebook filled with artwork and photos and other documentation of the year. Stephanie and Pete still have theirs from each year of preschool and still enjoy looking through them sometimes. Julie's news of the day was cute; ten times in September, October, and November she reported that she went to StoryLand. Another ten times her news was that she got a mint (a Tic-Tac) in the car. One day it was "I had a mint in the car. It is having a party in my tummy with my breakfast."

One of the hallmarks of the Reggio Emilia approach is to document what the kids say and do without asking them leading questions. So, for instance, there's a photo of Julie playing with some toy birds. The accompanying text says, "Tweet tweet! Is this a bird? I want a house. I'm going to ask Andrew. Andrew? Can I use the bird house after you? [Andrew hands her the house.] How do the birds fit inside? [Julie begins to put birds in the house.] I got it! [She picks up a red bird.] He's going to play in the nest. I found another red one. He has feet." Here's the transcription for her self-portrait: "So we have to do a circle like that. An eye, then the other eye, then the mouth. Look, it's me! Then we have to do the arm, then the other arm. Then the legs. It's me, look! I'm doing ballet. Now I'm done with ballet and now I'm singing letters. Now I'm all done."

At the beginning of the year, the kids in the youngest group each decorate a coffee can. It becomes an "I Can" can (although Julie insists on calling it her "I-I-Can-Can"). Whenever a kid can do something new, the teacher writes it on a slip of paper and puts it in the can. Some of the items in Julie's can were "I can hold my cup and pour the juice at the same time" and "I can open the mud room door and the basement door" and "I can say goodbye to Mom without crying" and "I can make a two with my fingers" and "I can make a sissy by myself and wear underwear."

She had a great year!

Five Things I Miss About My Childhood

Terri tagged me for this meme. Here are the chain-letter-like rules:  Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog’s name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross-pollination effect.

    1. The Cerebral Outpost
    2. Just AskJudy
    3. Loose Leaf
    4. Nearest Distant Shore
    5. Verbatim

Next select four new friends to add to the pollen count. Of course, no one is obligated to participate, and anyone I didn't name who wants to play along, please do and link back.

    1. Leah at Blog On
    2. Mark at The Long Cut
    3. Kathy at Where the Wild Things Are
    4. Tonya at Kingfisher Cove

Now, here are the five things I miss about my childhood:

1. The thing I miss most about my childhood is being carefree. I was lucky enough to grow up in a healthy, loving, financially stable family. I never knew anything about crime or disease or toxins or accidents or war. Ignorance truly is bliss in childhood.
2. I miss camp. I went to overnight camp for ten summers, first as a camper and then as a counselor. There's something special about the relationships one forms at camp, summer after summer. Sometimes I run into people from camp and we throw our arms around each other as if we're long-lost siblings reunited after all these years.
3. Although I didn't appreciate any of it at the time: I miss not-gray hair, teeth that don't need crowns, smooth and clear skin, a flat tummy, muscles and joints that never ache, a well-rested feeling all the time, and on and on and on.... It's not pretty, this over-40 thing.
4. I miss Grandma Dora.
5. We never wanted for anything growing up, but we were most definitely not spoiled. Treats were really special, like getting ice cream or going out to dinner or visiting the science museum. Although I still feel delight at an unexpected pleasure, it's a different feeling from when I was a kid—I guess it's not as pure. Andy and I work very hard to keep our children from getting spoiled. They really do get excited when we announce that we're going to the aquarium or getting slushies or whatever. That's a real gift, and one I'm glad we can give them.

What do you miss about your childhood?

Glasses: Part III (And I Hope This Is Just a Trilogy)

Apparently Mr. Palsy has other problems beyond his shakiness. I brought my glasses to the tech at Dr. Chang's office, who discovered that my -0.50 astigmatism had mysteriously transmogrified itself into a -4.50 instead. Kind of a big difference, and definitely explained why I almost puked when I tried to look through them. So I took the glasses back to the store, where I was waited on by a pleasant woman named Melissa. She looked at my prescription, saw the clearly written -0.50, and then pulled up the computerized order. Turns out Mr. Palsy had actually typed in -4.50, so they couldn't even blame it on the lab. Then she asked why I hadn't chosen the aspherical lenses, for only another $10. I said I had no idea what she was talking about. She said that Mr. Palsy should have recommended aspherical lenses because of my prescription, to improve my vision and so I wouldn't look like Mr. Magoo (her words). I was furious. [She also wondered whether I wanted the anti-glare lenses—another option he hadn't offered me—but I declined. I don't intend to be doing much, if any, driving or computer work in the glasses.] So now I have to wait another 7–10 business days for the replacements (she said Mr. Palsy should never have said 3–5 days in the first place).

Books!

Somehow the Borders gift card that Andy received from the families of the kids he coached in T-ball ended up in my wallet! Go figure! And the next thing you know, there I was at Borders! So. I wanted to make sure I used the whole thing, but I kind of used more than twice its value by mistake. Oops.

My first order of business was You Grow Girl by Gayla Trail (of You Grow Girl web site fame). I desperately want to know enough about gardening to have a teeny-tiny herb and vegetable garden and possibly to take care of the plantings that we inherited from the house's previous owners. But I want to expend the least possibly amount of learning energy. We'll see if this does the trick.

Next stop was the children's department, for Ish by Peter Reynolds. This is a terrific picture book about a little boy who is frustrated because his drawings never turn out "right." He complains to his sister that his picture of a vase doesn't even look like a vase, and she tells him that it looks "vase-ish." He learns to embrace the "ish" in everything. It's terrific, and I wish I'd had it a long time ago when Steph started getting frustrated about her own artwork. Thanks for the recommendation, Nancy and Janice!

On the way to the checkout counter, I had to walk right by a table of paperbacks with a sign that said "Buy 2, get 1 free!" In tiny letters below, I swear it said, "Karen! These are all the books you've been meaning to get anyhow!" So I ended up crossing three items off my wish list: Three Junes by Julia Glass, Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, and Codex by Lev Grossman.

But for now I've got to dig in to the next book group book, which is The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst, and then the next mother-daughter book group book, Faraway Summer by Johanna Hurwitz.

Google Image Meme

Mark found a fun photo meme, using Google Images:       

1. Go to Google and click on the “Images” link.       
2. Type in the answers to the following and post the first  picture the search engine finds.(Click on photos to embiggen.)

The name of the town where you grew up:

The name of the town where you live now:

Your name:

Who are these people and what are they doing with my name?

Your grandmother’s name (just pick one):

Guess what my grandma's name was!

Your favorite food:

I could never pick just one favorite food, but dark chocolate would always be right near the top of any list.

Your favorite drink:

What, you thought maybe I was going to say Gatorade?

Your favorite song:

I don't have any #1 favorite song, but "Angel from Montgomery" is certainly up there. Googling brings up a photo of this Ben Harper/Tom Freund album cover, not exactly whom I was expecting!

Your favorite smell:

These people come up when you input "baby's neck," one of my favorite smells!

Sweaty and Gross

Unless you have lived somewhere that gets really, really hot and really, really humid, you can't possibly understand how disgusted everyone is with the weather here. It has been just unbearable. This is the kind of weather when you sweat right through your shirt waiting the 30 seconds for the car's AC to kick on.

Saturday was the school fair, and I had volunteered to be the ticket person. This is normally not a hard job. You just walk around and give out prize tickets to the parents staffing the various class booths. I don't know why they don't just give the parents a huge amount at the beginning of the fair, but there you go. Oh, and I got to wear a walkie-talkie. Very cool. But that was the only cool thing about the entire day. It was about 100 degrees and as close to 100% humidity as it can be without raining. The face-painting booth practically had to shut down because the kids were all too sweaty. I drank 6 bottles of water and never peed once. Awful. But the good news is that it's finally supposed to break tonight and go down to a very pleasant 68° tomorrow! I'll take it.

Good News, Bad News

So, my glasses were finally ready yesterday ("three to five days" with a RUSH put on it turned out to be eight days...). A young woman gave them to me and adjusted the fit. (I couldn't see a thing because I also had my contacts in.) I didn't see Mr. Palsy anywhere, so I quietly said to the woman, "I don't know how to say this, but I wonder if you can check whether they were made properly. The guy who measured me was really shaking a lot." She made a sad, kind face and said, "Oh, I know. He's the nicest guy, but he's getting old." She asked if he used a ruler, and I said yes, but she used a little gadget that looked like one of those old 3-D Viewmaster toys. The number was something like 55. Then she checked his notes and it was the same! I was stunned, but apparently he did manage to get the right measurement somehow. But then last night when I took out my contacts and tried the glasses, the left lens was so blurry and wrong that I almost threw up from the vertigo. So tomorrow I'm going to bring them to the tech at Dr. Chang's office to see if they were really made properly. If he says yes, then I need to see Dr. Chang and find out why I can't see out of them.

Stephanie, Abstract Expressionist

Today we started finished Steph's last second-grade "Learning Quest" project. This time it could be on any topic at all. I suggested she research a particular artist or art style and then create her own piece of art in that style. She ended up going with Jackson Pollock, which was fun. We went to the library and got some books, prepared her oral presentation and photos to show, and then got messy. I put a big sheet of paper down on the driveway and let her have at it with some paint. She had a ball and, I think, will enjoy sharing it with her classmates tomorrow. (Of course I couldn't tell her Pollock's famous response to a question about how he knew when he had finished a painting: "How do you know when you finish making love?")

Friday Fiver

You spy... I spy...

From your vantage point in front of the computer, you spy, with your little eye...

	1. Something that is red: The CD-ROM that came with my new cell phone. I can't imagine a scenario in which I would want to use it.
	2. Something that is shiny: My apple logo. See, it's like a little mirror!
	3: Something that is ugly: My old PowerMac that I just can't seem to get rid of—who will take it?
	4. Something that is made of wood: My desk.
	5. Something that is sharp: A pencil.

Free Katie from Dr. Cruise!

Quick, before it's too late: FREE KATIE! (Via Brooke)

Don't turn away. Your indifference makes you part of the problem. Talk to your children, join in community support groups and please show your support by wearing your Free Katie™ Gear!

Oh, and while we're on the subject, this is so, so funny. But read this first if you're not already all-too familiar with Dr. Tom Cruise's recommended vitamin-exercise regimen. (Via James)

Friday iPod Random Ten, Once Again with Lyrics!

1. Sneaking Sally through the Alley - Robert Palmer
"Trying to talk doubletalk, get-myself-in-trouble talk, catching myself in lies...."
2. Rain King - Counting Crows
"I've been here before and I deserve a little more."
3. Old Folks' Boogie (live) - Little Feat
"You know that you're over the hill when your mind makes a promise that your body can't fill."
4. My Darling - Wilco
"We were a family, my darling, right from the start."
5. Jesus The Missing Years (live) - John Prine
"It was raining. It was cold. West Bethlehem was no place for a twelve-year-old."
6. Yesterday (live) - James Taylor
"I believe in yesterday."
7. Rock 'n Roll Doctor - Chris Smither
"He's got two degrees in bebop, a PhD in swing. He's the master of rhythm and a rock and roll king."
8. Think - Aretha Franklin
"There ain't nothin' you could ask; I could answer you but I won't."
9. Birds - Paul Weller
"Tomorrow see the things that never come today."
10. It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Eva Cassidy   
"Now you go your way and I'll go mine."

Song I like most from this week's list: This is tough; there are some good ones there! I think for today I'll pick "Sneaking Sally through the Alley," just because it's always been one of my favorite Robert Palmer songs. In another mood I might have picked "Rock and Roll Doctor" (Chris Smither does a great cover) or even one of the others....
Song I like least from this week's list: "Rain King," I guess. I like Adam Duritz's voice—when he's not whining, anyhow—but I don't like all of the songs from Counting Crows.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: Name one thing that made you sad this week.
This morning Pete's class had their end-of-year presentation. They did some poems and songs about their chick-hatching project, and then the parents had a chance to go through their kid's portfolio of work and art together. What made me sad was one of Pete's friends, whose Dad had been out of work for a while and now has a job that requires a huge amount of travel. He seems to be gone more than he's home. Anyhow, his mom said he was especially sad this morning because he knew that his dad would be missing the special kindergarten event. He said to her at breakfast, "I don't even know Daddy anymore." That just broke my heart!

Soup: What was the last object (not person) you took a picture of?
An example of the centerpieces our Brownie troop made for a senior center cafeteria (that's it, up there in the photo).

Salad: Who do you talk to when you need help in making a decision?
Andy.

Main Course: If you were a weather event, what would you be, and why?
The wind. I think, for the most part, that I'm a refreshing, gentle, pleasant breeze, but I've been known to gust out of nowhere and then die down just as suddenly.

Dessert: Suggest a website that you think your readers would enjoy visiting.
If you don't already visit Grow-a-Brain regularly, you're in for a real treat!

Wise Beyond Her Years

Take a minute to go read Sam Binnie's short story "The Dress," which took this year's Harpers & Queen/Orange Prize for Fiction. How the heck can a 23-year-old write like that? (Via Bookslut)

Flutter-by

Well, I managed to drive a carload of second-graders to the Butterfly Place despite the fact that I had an even worse night's sleep than the night before. I think someone snuck in to my room while I was sleeping and coated my throat with motor oil ('least that's what it felt and tasted like).

The Butterfly Place was incredible! It's an enclosed greenhouse filled with exotic plants and butterflies, which was perfect because the class had just finished a science unit on caterpillars and butterflies. And Stephanie was happy, because it was the first field trip of the year I've been able to chaperone!

Achoo! Achoo! It's off to bed I go....

This Better Be a Cold!

Or else I have the worst hayfever in history! During those rare breaks between sneezing fits, I can barely grab tissues fast enough. My nose is running like a faucet. I was up for more than two hours last night (early this morning, actually) just blowing my nose. I don't want to take an antihistamine, but I might have to give in tomorrow. If my nose hasn't fallen off by then, that is. Oh, but first I have to drive a carload of second-graders to the Butterfly Place for a field trip. Please, someone hit me on the head with a 2x4, I'm begging you.

I Could Stop Any Time I Want...

Can't blog. Must play Zanx. (Curse you, Hanan!)

Simple Pleasure

Last Friday was the kindergarten field trip to Drumlin Farm. Miraculously, the weather cooperated, and the kids had fun running around and meeting all the animals. Oh, and a hay ride! What more could they want, eh?

Cartoon Caption Contest!

I'm always a few weeks behind reading my New Yorkers, but now I have even more incentive to catch up. They've started a new feature for the back page: Every issue contains a cartoon caption contest! There's a new cartoon in need of a caption (you submit 'em online), an older cartoon with the three best potential captions (you vote online), and an even older cartoon with a winning caption. Fun! (Lookee here.) I'm wishing I'd got on the bandwagon sooner; I had a much better caption for one of the earlier cartoons.

NYC by the Books

Remember I blogged about the Sunday Times Book Review's literary map of Manhattan? It came out yesterday, and the interactive version is here. I'm embarrassed to admit how many of the featured books I've never read—or even heard of! What a cool idea.