Happy Halloween

Holiday greetings from Hermione Granger and a brown bat from Bats at the Library.

[Interestingly, we only had one kid come to our door. More candy for me while I read my ghost story.]

No disease metaphors, please, I'm British*

The Possum, Mom, and I were all sick last weekend, particularly unfortunate as the Possum's friend was staying for the weekend. Then on Sunday I discovered the head lice, and had to treat all the humans. We've now had three days of being home sick, because of course, the Spouse and the PandaBat got the virus too, with all sunshine hours spent in front of the den windows, picking nits. In between times, the linen gets boiled.

And then last night, a crazy alarm went off at midnight. Sump pump failure. I didn't really catch it all, over the nits, but we were pumped today and are having septic work done tomorrow, also. Plus Mom had a little procedure at the hospital today.

The good news: I've got mad nit-picking skillz. Another career path not taken, along with wet-nursing.

Pretty much hating the world, except for the Greys, Rooie, and Adam Rex.

* I was speaking with a new gentleman at work last week, and he thought I sounded English. That still surprises me.

Thinking about Web 3.0

Yesterday, while listening to music and organizing data, a song triggered a passing thought of an old friend from college. I googled him, and found him at FaceBook, which I promptly signed up for, just to say "Howdy! How the hell are you?" as one is wont to do. By coincidence which I do not credit to any sort of cosmic plan, I just happened to look him up on his birthday. So, again, "Happy Birthday, Clayton!"

FaceBook is, I think, much less visually annoying than MySpace, which I also joined to keep in touch with a specific friend. Of course, the idea of the blog is to create a sort of home for myself, where everyone who knows and/or loves me can keep tabs. But I want it all in one spot.

Right now, there's the blog, the blogroll, websites (which I visit less frequently if there isn't a feed), there's Readerville the journal, the forum, and the Note:Books, there's two different email addresses (at least), a Kodak account that came with the camera, and so forth. I know I'm forgetting a ton, and I know I haven't even brushed the surface of all that's available, like, oh, say fantasy football leagues. And in addition to one Lotus calendar at work, there are at least three hardcopy calendars in the house keeping track of the Offspring's activities, or most of the ones I haven't forgotten to write down.

Someday, I will have one virtual home. I'm looking forward to that.

Happy Catties

Luna sleeps while Mao makes biscuits on her.

I'm typing this with Queen Luna Grey DeLisle on my lap. She's giving herself a bath and cleaning my thumbs as well. She's enjoying looking at the pictures on the computer, I think.

His Excellency Chairman Mao has gone into hiding after jumping on the kitchen counter and bringing three large noisy pans down.

They seem to be settling in nicely. We're all in love.

They're coming!

The Spouse just called. We're getting kitties this afternoon! A gray boy and a gray girl, sibs, 7 months, described on the website as extra-large.

Woot!

Here's the APS picture.

Why, yes, I wanted to know exactly who he'd picked immediately. He was looking forward to surprising me. I also enjoyed looking at my ultrasound pictures, although as fetii, the Offspring weren't as photogenic as they now are.

You're never too old for something new

The PandaBat entered the monster haiku contest at Adam Rex's blog. She dictated her first ever haiku to me with glee. After I hit post on the comment and walked her off toward bed she said, "Everyone will see it."

Yes, I said, everyone who goes to Adam Rex's blog to tell him how much they love his books.

She considered this, then, "I feel popular. I never felt popular before."

Meanwhile, across town, the Possum was attending her first Girl Scouts meeting. She'll go camping for the first time this weekend. The list of stuff she needs is way long. Thankfully, the marvelous Spouse will undertake to provision her, because 1) this is not a good week for me to try and cram in one more thing and 2) nothing in my life experience has prepared me for purchasing a mess kit.

Overheard

This is old, but Rooie posted funny Rachelism, which reminded me of a funny Possum-ism.

No, I couldn't speak that if my life depended on it. But I'll spend the rest of the day thinking it (Possum-ism, posssssss-um-issssss-umm...it's hott in Toe-peeeka)

In the distant past, when the Possum was a scant 18 months or so, we were enjoying a beach vacation with my in-laws. (Probably a beach vacation. Maybe the mountains, though, we've done that several times, too. Possibly even the vacation when I was expanding along with the soon-to-be PandaBat.) The Possum was in the corner, playing by herself, when there was a perfect conversational lull, and we could clearly hear what she said next

Octogon saves the day!

Let that be a less to us all: never underestimate the importance of regular-sided shapes.

A New Stage

Yesterday I began a new stage of my parenting career. The mom-in-the-car stage. The chauffeur.

We have been the kind of parents who wanted our kids to have lots of free, unstructured time. So the Possum took dance for two years, gymnastics for one, and has now been learning guitar for one year. The PandaBat followed her sister into dance for two years, and is now taking gymnastics. That's it so far. One class each per school year, and one big day camp week or two in the summer.

No more. Last Sunday we went to Girl Scouts University, spurred by fliers distributed at school. The Offspring were curious, but within about ten minutes of walking into the lobby filled with tables from the local troops, and running into many girls they know, both were clamoring to join up.

From what I can tell based on yesterday's new troop meeting, they're both going to love it. Lots of varied activities and meetings, and camping out, and excursions. Unlike the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts are inclusive and welcoming, with no religious or sexual orientation issues.

Plus, the Possum has been wanting to study fencing ever since I read her the Spiderwick Chronicles when she was four. Well, two weeks ago we observed a class and she's ready and excited for that, too.

So, suddenly, our calendar is abloom with entries. Brownies three Thursday nights a month. Junior Girl Scouts three Tuesday nights a month. Gymnastics and fencing both on Mondays. Wednesdays will continue to be library trip days. Thursday afternoons still have guitar. In addition there will be school events (the Fall Festival, the Winter Concert) and sometimes weekend camping.

And my role is to write checks and drive the car.

I'm going to need a good book light, with darkness starting earlier. Thank goodness I get great gas mileage. And on the bright side, we have plenty of time to empty the freezer before the cookies come out. Thin Mints, yum!