tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67416232011-09-13T10:50:11.636-04:00MimilouMusings on parenting, books, and whatever flotsam floats to the surface of my mind.Suzannenoreply@blogger.comBlogger5721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-19570036445486769172010-12-16T17:27:00.002-05:002010-12-16T17:31:33.407-05:00What I've Been Up ToChristmas is in one week! Why do I feel woefully unprepared for this?Perhaps it's this new endeavor I've been obsessing over working diligently on. Check it out if you are so inclined. Oh, and feel free to leave a comment!And if anyone wants to come wrap my presents for me (after I actually buy them), let me know.Hope you all are doing well!Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-86101526545286568602010-06-19T08:05:00.002-04:002010-06-19T08:21:46.098-04:00Future Sellers of AmericaA few weeks ago we participated in a community yard sale. I'll call it a qualified success -- we brought home fewer items than we came with, and even recouped the cost of the space.Although I love seeing people cart off our stuff (and relieve us a bit of our surfeit of belongings), I have a hard time actually engaging with browsers. I tend to look away so that I can't seeSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-75321507572095811572010-06-02T10:33:00.004-04:002010-06-02T12:42:40.449-04:00BrandedLast summer I read Juliet Schorr's Born to Buy. I'd expected to be horrified by the pernicious reach of kid-centric marketing, but even my jaded mind was boggled over both the insidious and the blatant ploys that marketers use to influence kids.Of course, I told myself, I've done a pretty good job at keeping that commercialized claptrap at a healthy distance. My kids are not sheltered fromSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-87512052364935505562010-05-20T21:12:00.004-04:002010-05-20T21:42:58.916-04:00Enriched(Okay, you talked me into it.)Allie has been attending an afternoon enrichment class three days a week. Since her kindergarten is just half-day, she needed something to fill the long afternoons until her brother comes home. It's a terrific program. It provides exactly the mix of arts and crafts, science, and social studies that I wanted her exposed to; you know, all the fluffy stuff that Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-80348912139812600892010-05-18T15:59:00.003-04:002010-05-18T20:38:34.905-04:00She Surfaces (now with short p.s. added)So it would appear that if you abandon your blog for a year, you may find that some changes have taken place in your absence. Some weeds may have sprouted up, or vandals may have hurled rocks through your windows.Or all the comments you had accumulated over the past 5 years may have been vaporized -- POOF. Thanks for nothing, Haloscan. I'm not sure what Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-43142259426025006092009-05-12T18:35:00.003-04:002009-05-12T18:58:39.966-04:00Attention SpanYou might think, given my usual child-centric content, that this post is going to be about how one of my kids can't seem to focus on anything for more than a few minutes before being distracted.A reasonable assumption, especially because....Wait, is that a fly buzzing around the kitchen? And wait a sec, I need to check my e-mail.Umm, where was I?Oh, yes, posting. About short Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-16714703486231863962009-05-07T16:29:00.004-04:002009-05-07T17:04:27.138-04:00Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's...Twenty-five. I know that's not quite how the saying goes, but the number that does rhyme has connotations I'm just not up to embracing right now.So, it appears that I haven't posted since, umm, February. Which means I've missed the chance for a timely post not only ignoring lamenting celebrating my birthday but also acknowledging my blog's fifth anniversary.Five years! Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-26553727611750401522009-02-04T11:18:00.002-05:002009-02-04T11:30:11.534-05:00Job InsecurityThe economic news is grim. With rounds and rounds of layoffs announced daily, it seems that everyone currently employed should be taking steps to work harder, smarter, whatever it takes to protect his or her job. Rookie mistakes should be avoided at all costs.Someone needs to remind the Tooth Fairy that even she is not immune from losing her job because of substandard Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-13448237106951789632009-01-13T10:28:00.002-05:002009-01-13T10:33:13.632-05:00Music to My EarsAllie was watching me play Scrabulous, or whatever its latest incarnation is called."Oh, Mommy, you're playing that word game again! I LOVE this game.""Really? Why's that?""Because it's filled with letters, and letters make up words, and I just love words!"Ah, the sweet sound of validation.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-62406709320396367012009-01-08T09:25:00.002-05:002009-01-08T09:49:35.215-05:00Yawn, Stretch, Try to Come to Life ...*Although in January that might be asking too much. So, hi, how are you? I've been feeling like the blogosphere wraith lately -- not posting, not commenting, just ... hovering, I guess.I don't have much to report from my 2 months of silence. Christmas was great, Sean did not wail in abject disappointment over the fact that Santa didn't bring him a DS system Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-46813495103061382092008-11-19T20:10:00.003-05:002008-11-19T20:16:14.666-05:00Thanks, I ThinkAllie was twirling around in her room. It's one of the many, many tactics she deploys to delay the bedtime process. Tonight there was sing-song commentary as well: "Mommy, you are so nice and sweet and appropriate!"At least someone has finally noticed.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-3056395689245764832008-11-11T18:06:00.002-05:002008-11-11T18:30:49.723-05:00Thank a VetToday Sean's school had a Veterans Day assembly. The first graders sang a song that Sean's been practicing for a few weeks now (sample lyrics: "If you love your country thank a vet"), the high school's ROTC showed the students how to fold a flag, the mayor popped by -- Sean was very impressed.He came home filled with questions about veterans, and soldiers (he's a little unclear on the Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-56630656914091630402008-11-05T07:44:00.003-05:002008-11-05T07:45:47.346-05:00Yes, We DidI never thought I'd have tears of joy in my eyes after a presidential election.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-64985613869698526072008-11-02T23:45:00.003-05:002008-11-02T23:48:08.414-05:00Boo '08This year's Halloween was brought to you by three-sizes-too-big ruby slippers that will take you back to Kansas, but only if you can keep them on your feet.and by George Lucas, purveyor of the franchise that will never ever die, apparently.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-15659371705054102402008-10-22T09:57:00.002-04:002008-10-22T10:08:29.665-04:00My Son the SmugglerThis morning Sean asked if he could take his T-ball portrait and team picture to school. "I need to show them to my friends," he explained.I nixed the idea because Sean is not what you'd call careful. I hate to be a killjoy, but I like those pictures and don't particularly trust that they'd return home unmangled.Case closed, or so I thought.As we were hustling out the door (Do Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-7846481377348096692008-10-18T20:58:00.002-04:002008-10-18T21:59:12.649-04:00Cowardice(This was inspired by Aliki's post about a reunion with a friend from high school. I'd wanted to write about this over the summer, but self-recrimination is a mighty foe, apparently.)In early August I got a call from an old high school friend. We're no longer close, but she is in the periphery of my life because she is good friends with Jeff's brother. A call from her is most unusual.SheSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-77928349018812730232008-09-28T12:47:00.002-04:002008-09-28T13:07:35.727-04:00Return to SenderI'd been tucking little notes into Sean's lunchbox. "I love you," "I hope you're having a good day," that sort of thing.After I'd done that for about a week without any reaction from the addressee, it came up in a conversation about why Sean wasn't finishing his lunch. I knew the real reason -- my son is an incurable chatterbox -- but I hinted at another explanation."I know!" I Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14145270884084623862008-09-24T13:09:00.003-04:002008-09-24T13:36:27.658-04:00Yes, I Know It's Almost the End of SeptemberIn my continued neglect of my blog, I am guilty of unfair and unbalanced photo representation for the first day of school, female edition.Here's my girl 2 weeks ago, about to embark on her first five-days-a-week school year:She's attending a transitional kindergarten program this year, five afternoons a week. I've come to peace with the fact that she Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14061865813605388302008-09-05T14:53:00.003-04:002008-09-05T15:09:46.849-04:00Yes, Another One in the Recent Spate of First-Day-of-First-Grade PostsWahhh!Where did my kindergartner go?Sean started first grade yesterday. Today is his first full day of school ever. After soothing a distraught Allison, who realized that she'd be spending an entire day without her best friend, I found that this morning was business as usual. Around noon, though, I started getting a bit twitchySuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-25084025814353619392008-08-22T09:47:00.003-04:002008-08-22T14:05:40.570-04:00Just One Late Book Away from the HoosegowDid you hear about the woman who was arrested for $30 in unpaid library fines?Under a more unforgiving municipal regime, that certainly could have been me. I have this unfortunate tendency to a) check out a lot of books at one time (for the kids, but still) and b) forget when they're due.I do get a receipt with all the due dates. And if I remember, I do Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-34365392081645603062008-08-15T08:16:00.002-04:002008-08-15T08:19:30.456-04:00MonopolyI JUST found out the most remarkable news.Did you know that there are actually other athletes besides Michael Phelps competing at the summer Olympics?No, seriously. In fact, there could be, like, hundreds of them.How about that.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-608634987347892442008-08-12T10:45:00.002-04:002008-08-12T11:10:59.487-04:00The Grouchy EditorI'd call this the first in a series of posts about grammar and punctuation and usage mistakes that annoy me, but I know better.We'll be lucky if there's a part 2, let alone a series.And with that disclaimer, let's rock and roll.We could also say, although I wouldn't, let's rock 'n' roll.What we should never say? Let's rock n' roll.Or rock 'n roll.We need a lovely matching set ofSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-78402622877170465472008-08-06T13:55:00.005-04:002008-08-06T14:07:31.922-04:00Narrow VocabularyI've seen this very cool image on several blogs but only recently found out that my sister's colleague created the Wordle site. Hey, I thought, I have a nicely varied vocabulary. The Wordlet for my blog will surely reflect that.Apparently not. See the prominence given to "Barbie" and "TV"? If you see me randomly tossing about words like "perambulate" and "quotidian" and "NPR" inSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-86264666622162612492008-08-04T11:26:00.004-04:002008-08-04T11:40:06.729-04:00Project Runway, Here I ComeSuch was my guilt over Allie's accident (she's all better now -- thanks for the kind words!) that I may actually have agreed to a trip to Target for a toy of her choice.And I may actually have agreed to uphold this agreement when it became obvious that "her choice" was to be found residing in the *gulp* Barbie aisle.Friends, I bought my daughter a Barbie.And not just Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-19122466176522136362008-07-21T17:12:00.003-04:002008-07-21T18:12:10.193-04:00Pride Goeth after the FallLet's see, let's see, what was it about last Thursday that was so exciting?The fact that Sean decided the best way to rid himself of sand from the sandbox at the pool was simply to discard his bathing suit while strolling across the pool grounds en route to the showers? No, that's not it, although I believe I had to be resuscitated after I died of embarrassment.The fact Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-84136902371642799762008-06-19T20:36:00.004-04:002008-06-19T21:19:54.406-04:00Getting Long in the ToothThree unrelated events that emphasize my rapid aging and/or increasing irrelevance.I sent my very first text message a few weeks ago. The (boring) context: Jeff was supposed to be joining his siblings and me at the movies. He wound up missing the beginning of the movie and decided to see a slightly later showing. He texted me about his location, indicating that he had Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-40132477494770406142008-05-30T15:36:00.002-04:002008-05-30T15:54:08.385-04:00Big Plastic BubbleWhat's your approach to your kids' activities at someone else's house when you're not present? This is a new experience for us, and I have to tell you that my discomfort level has risen considerably as of late.When it comes to TV viewing, I'm one of those PBS-(and, okay, Disney)-or-die kind of parents. I set pretty firm TV and computer limits. We don't have any video game Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-29816764975814132702008-05-17T21:28:00.002-04:002008-05-17T21:32:38.517-04:00May 1996Twelve years seems like both a lifetime and an eyeblink.Happy anniversary, my love.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-79031300070890441442008-05-05T12:40:00.004-04:002008-05-05T16:20:27.240-04:00Teacher's PetSean's had a terrific kindergarten experience so far. In large part I attribute this to his teacher, who is everything I'd hoped for: she's enthusiastic, caring, creative, empathetic, kind ...Sean just adores her.If I hadn't surmised that already, a few recent comments would have clued me in.It started with Sean's telling me a few weeks ago he wanted to send his teacher a Christmas Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-35049335957968935282008-04-27T13:36:00.002-04:002008-04-27T13:41:38.991-04:00Spelling Does CountAttention World!My name is Suzanne.Let me spell it. S U Z A N N ELet's try pronouncing it, shall we?sOO-zan'Here's what my name is not:SusanWhich is spelled S U S A NAnd is pronouncedsOO'zunTWO DIFFERENT NAMES WITH DIFFERENT SPELLINGS AND PRONUNCIATIONS.Not the same name. So when I give you my name, and even spell it for you, what should I hear and/or see?Suzanne.Not Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-11625852190105533652008-04-22T20:16:00.003-04:002008-04-22T22:47:26.077-04:00Earth Day 2008To celebrate Earth Day, the kids and I went for a walk in the woods. Which we had to drive to, but whatever. It's the gesture that counts, right?I loved watching them explore and play around a huge fallen tree. It made me a little wistful -- it's exactly the type of activity I craved as a child but didn't get to experience.Last week I drove the kids past the house that I lived in Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14693361614809694072008-04-16T22:04:00.004-04:002008-04-16T22:22:22.115-04:00Amply Illustrating Three of Our Four SlogansThis morning, I awoke to hear Sean and Allie already in earnest conversation.Allie: Sean, you can't call me Allison anymore.Sean: Why?Allie: Because my name is now Ariel.Sean: Okay. Hi, Ariel.Still rubbing my eyes, I follow Allie to her room. Allie: Mommy, where are my green pants?Me: In your closet. Why?Allie: Because I'm Ariel now, and I have to look Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-75688047154672408862008-04-11T13:40:00.002-04:002008-04-11T13:46:03.366-04:00SloganeeringI'm thinking that the Mimilou household needs a slogan, something we can all rally behind, something that succinctly captures just who we are as a family.Some possibilties:Why be agreeable when you can argue?What? I can't hear you over all the shouting!Whining is for winners!It's going to cost HOW much to fix?_____What would your family slogan be?Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-71823223768591947962008-04-09T15:14:00.002-04:002008-04-09T15:25:01.426-04:00SecretsThe first thing Sean told me today when I picked him up from school was "I don't want to go my baseball game today." (He's had one T-ball game so far and had a grand time.)No subsequent interrogation technique elicited a reason. Did anything happen at school? No. Did someone say something to you? No. Did you do something you don't want to tell me about? Yes. I mean no. Do you want to Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-49030900173719578882008-04-06T20:25:00.003-04:002008-04-06T20:50:14.737-04:00From the Roundhouse to the Death StarToday I cleared off the coffee table. Today, for the first time in three years, the table is no longer serving as an outpost of Tidmouth Sheds.Today I put away all the Thomas the Tank Engine toys.And I heard not one word of protest.My newly minted six-year-old was too busy playing with all his new Star Wars toys. Now, instead of Thomas and Percy and Gordon andSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-60214757832308939572008-02-05T20:20:00.000-05:002008-02-05T20:50:51.683-05:00It's the Little Things That IrritateLike any couple, Sean and Allie each exhibit a behavior or two that the other simply cannot abide. For Allie, it's Sean's reading aloud. Let me backtrack a bit to explain that my fears about Sean's ability to read have been roundly disproved. He reads pretty well now -- I've marked his progress on the Henry and Mudge scale: he has gone from reading, with Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-63761170131381774072008-02-04T20:06:00.000-05:002008-02-04T20:27:07.986-05:00FoundI don't have many good excuses for my silence. In fact, once I admit to you on one particular thing that has occupied some of my time (time that heretofore I would have spent on blogging), you’ll just roll your eyes.Once a big Lost fan, I fell off the island bandwagon last year. I worked through much of period during which season 3 was broadcast, and I didn’t expect to ever catch up again. Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-86918190630475917972008-01-23T18:30:00.000-05:002008-01-23T18:34:23.841-05:00Postpartum EtiquetteRemind me to have an Emily Post discussion with Allie. So we can avoid conversations like this one today:"Jen," says Allie, pointing to my nephew's girlfriend's still-swollen belly, "when is the boy baby going to come out?"Fortunately, Jen just laughed.Welcome, Beatrice!Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-76837609896637300262008-01-22T20:06:00.000-05:002008-01-22T20:22:14.857-05:00Oh, Right, the BlogLately I've been having to remind myself that I should be posting something every now and then. I appear to be in one of the numerous blogging valleys that have characterized my almost FOUR (FOUR!!) years of self-indulgent narcissistic Internet navel-gazing.Not much has been going on. Well, within my four walls, that is. Other families have been busy, busy, busy. My nephew's, Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-25733946588043702692008-01-16T18:49:00.000-05:002008-01-18T15:07:00.780-05:00Book ClubSometimes dinner conversation with the kids lacks a certain zip. I ask questions, the kids reluctantly give me one-word answers, we chew and swallow. Eventually Allie cries about some great crime against humanity, like the fact that there's broccoli on her plate.Tonight, though, was like the Algonquin Kiddie Table. I started by asking the kids who their favorite authors were. Sean Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-43433473689468575422008-01-10T09:25:00.001-05:002008-01-10T09:43:22.818-05:00Those Were the DaysSean's class is starting a unit on music. His teacher told the kids that one day, when they're teenagers, they'll flop down on their beds and listen to music in their rooms."Well, I used to do that," I said."Really?""Yep! I'd come home from school and go right to my room to listen to some music. Except I didn't have a CD player." "What did you listen to, then?""It may sound Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-91797732691042501302008-01-09T10:35:00.000-05:002008-01-09T10:50:54.930-05:00Reminds of That SNL SketchJennifer at Faking It was kind enough to bestow on me one of them fancy blog awards. (I can't help but think of Phil Hartman whenever I hear the word "Sassy"!) Thanks, Jennifer! It's a nice lift -- especially since I'm feeling dowdy and dull instead of sassy.I, in turn, offer this up to anyone reading this. You all are a breath of fresh air!Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-47552723530374394942008-01-07T13:56:00.000-05:002008-01-07T14:15:27.004-05:00From Her Kitchen to YoursLike any good cook, Allison knows the importance of a well-organized kitchen. She carefully assembles all the cookware she needs before beginning a recipe.What would necessitate such copious use of kitchen gear? Why, Allie's signature dish, creamy custard, of course!Unfortunately, this meticulous approach does not extend too far past the prep stage. Putting everything Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-20113972433462788362008-01-05T08:57:00.000-05:002008-01-05T09:14:52.084-05:00Combing the DebrisJeff and I have begun to attack some of the random piles of clutter that threaten to take over our house. It's been quite satisfying.I've emptied a closet, filled bags with clothes to be donated, and excavated several toy bins to pluck out abandoned toys for a future garage sale and reunite long-lost toy siblings (who knew that Duplo blocks were lurking in every room of the Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-13613240594056422352008-01-01T09:20:00.000-05:002008-01-01T09:53:31.431-05:00...And A Happy New YearTo resume blogging exercises, I have to limber up gently. So this will be short -- I don't want to pull a muscle or something! We had a splendid Christmas. I just love the ages of my kids right now; if anything could shake my feeling that Christmas can be a hollow exercise in commercialism, it is their excitement over the holiday, and their belief in the magic of it all.WeSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-89437021289458910202007-12-24T08:19:00.000-05:002007-12-24T08:23:52.917-05:00Merry and BrightUnlike last year at this time, I don't have to go out to the mall for last-minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. Go me!For everyone who celebrates the holiday, have a merry, happy, peaceful, Christmas. I'll most likely resurface sometime around the new year. See you all then.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-58783881691119796772007-12-21T16:55:00.001-05:002007-12-21T16:57:22.487-05:00Sometimes the Holidays Just Get OverwhelmingOther times, all it takes is an up close and personal encounter with the man in the red suit.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-51290477161926037742007-12-20T09:29:00.001-05:002007-12-20T09:52:27.222-05:00Through a Door, FoolishlyAt last we bid adieu to our old front door. It was warped, it required a hip thrust to shut and a kick to open, it let in a steady stream of cold air even when closed. And it was purple. I love purple, but a purple door that matched NOTHING else on the exterior of the house just looked dumb.So now we have a lovely new door that matches our blue shutters.After dinner last Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-61516151419372879342007-12-18T23:11:00.000-05:002007-12-18T23:29:38.058-05:00Isn't It Ironic, Doncha Think?I am a glutton for a guilt trip, so it was with interest that I read an article in the newspaper on ways to make your holiday greener. Since the most effective approach -- something along the lines of not purchasing any presents or decorations at all -- would have made for a short article, the writer focused on the usual exhortations: buy a living tree, then plant itSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14380665426191133322007-12-16T12:20:00.000-05:002007-12-16T12:22:36.712-05:00Sean Lowers the Boom"Allie! I am not playing with you again for the rest of my LIFE!"Let's assume that in the future the rest of his life will last more than 3 minutes.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-73313268887550665752007-12-15T08:21:00.000-05:002007-12-15T08:37:39.342-05:00Oh the Singing Inside Is Frightful...A friend from where I used to work sent me an e-mail yesterday. "Don't want you to feel left out!" she wrote. I clicked on the attached message to see that the holiday carollers were once again going to be strolling the office building on Friday, spreading cheer. This happens every year on the morning of the annual holiday party.I replied to her, "Why, thank Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-647155492117184842007-12-11T11:02:00.000-05:002007-12-11T11:54:39.137-05:00CounterbalanceToday's walk to school left me with a throbbing headache. It wasn't an atypical walk, but nonetheless today I found myself poorly equipped to handle Allie's stalling tactics. It started before we left the house. I had left Allie and Sean to get their shoes and coats on. When I return to the room, Sean is ready, and Allie is standing there, giggling, no coat on, wearing not shoes butSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-83279502546674863812007-12-06T20:23:00.000-05:002007-12-06T21:12:42.406-05:00Pick Your HueThanks so much for all your kind comments on the previous post! It means a lot to me to have such a supportive community in times like this.And now, to give you whiplash, we turn from the sober to the completely frivolous.This year marks the first holiday season in which I am decorating my house with exterior lights. We'd always just slapped up a few wreaths and called it a minimallySuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-75913834057312569362007-12-03T10:53:00.000-05:002007-12-03T11:23:41.955-05:00The Ghost of Christmas PastThe kids are already heady with excitement over Christmas, and I'm trying my best to fill the season with magic for them. I always drag my feet a bit at this stage of the game. This year, though, it's even harder.The good news that my mother-in-law received was, unfortunately, not the complete news. She found out last week that there was a satellite tumor next to the Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-34088005315365387362007-11-28T18:07:00.000-05:002007-11-28T18:15:42.453-05:00Do You Want to Get Down?If you had been in our kitchen as I was preparing dinner tonight, you'd have witnessed Western civilization continuing its inexorable decline: one adult (who ought to know better) and two kids (who will one day be mortified) singing and dancing to "Get Down on It" by Kool and the Gang. (I think I just heard Gary faint dead away...)"I really like that song, Mom!" Sean said.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-7231250624143621882007-11-26T09:40:00.000-05:002007-11-26T10:01:08.389-05:00Weekend in Numbers, Holiday Edition2 Number of Thanksgiving delicacies that Sean and I ate for dinner (mashed potatoes and raw carrots for Sean, mashed potatoes and turkey for me).4 Number of hours spent at the mall on Black Friday. The mall! On Black Friday! Oh, the insanity. I hate malls in general, and I haven't been at a mall on the day after Thanksgiving in years. But at least the kids were Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-69738172525350988162007-11-21T10:49:00.001-05:002007-11-21T11:01:51.169-05:00Giving ThanksAs always, I have much to be thankful for. Especially this year.We got the best news possible yesterday: the biopsy of my mother-in-law's lymph nodes came back negative. For now, at least, and hopefully for many years to come, we can be thankful that the cancer hasn't spread.Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating it tomorrow. I'll be back next week.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14575034286738657322007-11-20T09:28:00.000-05:002007-11-20T12:51:35.028-05:00Is it the Season Yet?See, all you have to do is dangle the prospect of some Amazon gift cards in front of me and I start assembling a wish list.Teeny Manolo is having a sweepstakes contest. Check it out if, like me, the prospect of free books, even if used for holiday gifts, makes you swoon.On a somewhat related note, I haven't started Christmas shopping yet. But I have at least thought about Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-51843121595177467992007-11-18T13:34:00.000-05:002007-11-18T17:25:23.370-05:00Seven ThingsMac and Cheese tagged me for the Seven Things meme. Not surprisingly, I had a hard time coming up with anything even remotely interesting about myself, let along seven things. You'll see what I mean.1. I like really hot showers -- even when I was pregnant. Which, I know, is a no-no. Jeff would stick his hand in the shower stream and ask me if I wanted to cook the baby. Hmphh. I also Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-67076612757911575632007-11-17T08:43:00.000-05:002007-11-17T08:45:10.064-05:00Women Studies 101, Kindergarten VersionOut of the blue the other day:"Mommy, why have there been only men presidents?"Sigh.Pull up a chair, kid. It's a long story.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-28157791965605578002007-11-15T12:54:00.000-05:002007-11-15T13:17:55.124-05:00Book Lust, or Just Plain Folly?Our library was having a book sale. There aren't too many events that bring out the greedy shopper in me, but a library book sale is at the top of that short list.Allie and I spent an enjoyable half hour or so browsing through the books. She'd pull out books that interested her and present them to me for my opinion. I was feeling benevolent and even allowed her to Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-81466456240623688922007-11-14T13:46:00.000-05:002007-11-14T13:53:16.981-05:00Good Vocabulary = RiceYou simply must check out this site. Here's at least one instance in which frittering time away on the computer might actually do some good.Let's not discuss the fact that past level 41 or so, the apparent paucity of my vocabulary is humbling.(Thanks to Bub and Pie for the link.)Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-87830996683923872062007-11-13T07:40:00.000-05:002007-11-13T07:47:35.407-05:00RepertoireNora Bee at Whopping Cornbread tagged me for a "what songs do you sing to your kids" meme. I have to say that I don't sing to them very often these days. We sing together a lot -- they are cultivating quite the taste for 80's music. One particular favorite is that Journey chestnut, "Don't Stop, Believe It". (Don't try telling Allie that the title is actually "Don't Stop Believin'".)Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-53436466350820909452007-11-11T20:48:00.000-05:002007-11-11T21:12:19.570-05:00At the End of the DayNot in the sense of the trite business-speak cliche. No, I mean literally, at the end of the day. Any day, this one including.I find that by day's end I have no patience left. It's as if I start each day with a full glass of patience. Throughout the day, the patience drains steadily out of the glass until there are just droplets left.Droplets that are supposed to sustain me Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-59973654621497508142007-11-10T11:39:00.000-05:002007-11-10T12:02:25.233-05:00The Boy Is FlatPerfect for the ghost town that is the blogosphere on a Saturday (anyone else hear The Specials singing -- "Aaaa aaaa, nothing but a ghost town..."? No? Just me and my stockpile of eighties music memories?): video clip time!Here is Allison "reading" Flat Stanley, complete with a very busy index finger. Forgive the indulgent post -- I just love listening to Allie reconstruct storiesSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-82039057745009710062007-11-08T10:35:00.000-05:002007-11-08T10:56:45.521-05:00The Perspective WandThe other day I was talking to my sister about Allie's preschool issues (yes, that again. I know, I know)."I just wish," I said, "that there were a parenting magic wand that I could wave in front of her to make it all better."Long pause, as I realize how lacking in perspective this might strike my sister, who has borne more heartache and wears more emotional scars from raisingSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-38244529741835107832007-11-07T10:12:00.000-05:002007-11-07T10:38:03.572-05:00Up Close and PersonalOne of my most cherished books from childhood is not a classic. In fact, I'm pretty sure no one else has heard of it. The main character was a girl named Suzanne. It featured her mom, her dad, her two sisters, her dog, and her two best friends. And a bee that they all chased across Suzanne's home town, right to her very own house.A book about me, of course!As a child, I Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-37516608579729429322007-11-06T08:13:00.001-05:002007-11-06T09:43:59.995-05:00OstrichJeff is convinced that I am attracted to the dark side. If there's a depressing book or movie, he feels, I just naturally gravitate toward it.This reputation was solidified in his mind when I voiced delight over opening The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon one Christmas morning.Another example? I loved the movie version of The Hours (also one of my favorite books), Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-67920349423785133682007-11-04T20:21:00.000-05:002007-11-04T21:04:17.761-05:00So They DO Listen to Me OccasionallyI admit that I have certain verbal tics, phrases that I use over and over again without even realizing it.My kids appear to have picked up on a few of them.Earlier this evening Sean was bugging asking me about what he could have for snack. I was trying to steer him away from yet another piece of Halloween candy. And I was on the phone. So I told him that we'dSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-42302610759442529972007-10-31T21:41:00.000-04:002007-10-31T21:55:53.572-04:00Boo 2007 (Or, Next Time, Set Your Watch Fast)My own little pumpkins had a great day. Except perhaps for a tiny mishap this afternoon. Sean's school held its annual Halloween parade today. Since Sean is in the morning kindergarten class, he was invited to come back to school for the parade.The parade was to begin at 1:30. I will admit that we were running a little late, but we still arrived at 1:Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-71473441454823794392007-10-30T15:39:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:48:07.269-04:00I Absolve Myself of Any ResponsibilityI waited to buy Halloween candy until yesterday. I bought candy that I am not overly fond of. These were deliberate choices because I know that I have little willpower when faced with a bag of candy bars of any kind.I also know, however, that I can wait until tomorrow to open the bag. I'm not that lacking in fortitude.The three Nestle Crunch bar wrappers in Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-21605669076309694412007-10-29T10:22:00.000-04:002007-10-29T10:33:04.763-04:00Book PleaOkay, I need help.I am fresh out of book ideas at the moment. I'm midway through The Keep by Jennifer Egan, and after that I have nothing lined up. Well, far down the line is Richard Russo's new book, Bridge of Sighs. But the long library queue ensures that I won't have my hands on that book for several weeks.I can't wait that long. Even though I read slowly these days, I can't be Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-79474855238963388132007-10-25T12:16:00.000-04:002007-10-26T21:31:47.655-04:00Future TV News ReporterSean had a friend from his class come over to play on Thursday. It's a boy we knew only limitedly before school started even though he lived on our street -- "lived" because his house was destroyed by a fire last spring. He and his family are living with his grandparents (fortunately still close to the school) until the house is gutted and rebuilt.I fear that Sean, excited Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-18476378329956560602007-10-24T09:29:00.000-04:002007-10-24T10:01:34.916-04:00(Very, Very) Cautiously OptimisticThis is not the post I thought I'd be writing today. In a good way.Last week, we found out that my mother-in-law has a malignant form of skin cancer. She's already been treated for basal cell carcinoma, and apparently the new lesion she noticed back in June did not prompt the dermatologist to take any course of action but watchful waiting.The diagnosis he Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-52397531318318928172007-10-22T10:11:00.001-04:002007-10-22T10:32:11.617-04:00The Shyness GeneThanks so much for all the supportive comments on my previous post. I am trying to keep my perspective about all this -- and my conversation with the teacher on Friday helped a bit. She acknowledged that one group of girls does ignore not just Allie but several other children as well, and said that, as I suspected, Allie is now making a very deliberate choice to play alone Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-62545448408164600892007-10-17T11:12:00.001-04:002007-10-17T17:17:14.639-04:00Adjustment PeriodAllie's adjustment to preschool continues to be slower than I had expected. She seems to like it, but when I ask her who she has played with, she answers, "Nobody. I just played by myself."She still pins her feet to the floor right outside the classroom each day, turning her body rigid. She clings to me once we cross the threshold. She reluctantly hangs her backpack up. She'll Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-12142702267543243662007-10-13T21:43:00.000-04:002007-10-13T23:34:13.687-04:00One Family's TrashI am feeling spritely, bouyant even, tonight. Almost as light as air.I feel as if in some way I have unloaded several pounds of baggage. Which is not surprising, I guess, since I kind of have.We had a yard sale today!Our goal was not so much to make money but to rid ourselves of the extraneous possessions accrued over 11 years of marriage, 8 years of home ownership, and 5 and a Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-66040732892648797022007-10-11T20:50:00.000-04:002007-10-11T21:19:43.238-04:00Fixing a HoleI am reading, with minimal enthusiasm, Little Children by Tom Perrotta. It hasn't entirely felt like a waste of time, but I suspect that this is yet another book that will slide from my memory fairly quickly. Earlier today I read through the list of books I've read over the past five or six years, and I was not too surprised at how wispy my memories are. Too often I plow through a Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-33941143957146027092007-10-09T09:29:00.000-04:002007-10-09T09:49:38.510-04:00HomeworkSean's kindergarten homework is pretty simple. The main assignment each week is to read each day, draw one picture of something from a book he read, and write a sentence about the picture.Throughout the year, the kids work toward being able to write the sentence themselves. Right now, Sean comes up with the sentence, and I guide him through the actual writing. I think that homework would Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-78129569940951500202007-10-05T07:46:00.000-04:002007-10-05T08:12:23.664-04:00Her New Set of WheelsFor Allie's birthday, we got her a bike. Now, it is entirely possible that with additional planning or research or cash, I could have avoided purchasing this particular bike.I was seeking something relatively plain: pink would be okay (she loves pink), a few flowers or decorations also would have been acceptable.* Never in a million years would I have envisioned our buying a Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-63099837239034470782007-10-02T20:39:00.000-04:002007-10-02T20:56:00.252-04:00Four Years Today my little girl turns 4. If I were a more reflective, thoughtful mother I'd have a beautiful birthday letter for her. Instead, I am still trying to get the birthday girl to stay in her bed instead of popping up every 2 minutes. And I am still tending to the saddest batch of cupcakes I've ever made. I'm glad that they are intended for a preschool audience and not anyone with Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-22677231546645220232007-09-30T22:06:00.000-04:002007-09-30T23:02:13.167-04:00The UpdatesThe KindergartenThe first month of kindergarten has gotten a thumbs-up from Sean. He loves his teacher, loves school, is generally happy with life. I don't know if I ever followed up on my post about the teacher situation -- he did not get the teacher about whom I had fretted. Instead, his teacher is actually an acquaintance I'd made last year at the park. She's new to the school but Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-34949187118580835722007-09-26T20:22:00.000-04:002007-09-26T21:29:36.840-04:00Dinner Menu: Pasta with a Side of Linguistics, Hold the ExpertiseAt dinner, the kids were quizzing each other on what sounds different letters make. (Unprompted by me, I might add. Because I'm not above initiating that sort of thing when there's a lull in the conversation. I thought it was pretty cool that they were doing this on their own.)Never one to miss a chance to grind an educational pointSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-4786962357427685792007-09-24T09:56:00.001-04:002007-09-24T10:06:06.701-04:00Budding Anglophile(Rebecca might appreciate this.)Jeff's been spending a fair amount of time in London lately. His job calls for a lot of European travel, and London seems to be the hot spot. I think it's starting to affect him.Peering into the refrigerator this morning, he asked, "What's in the take-away container?"*Hmmph. Here in the United States, sir (summoning my inner Stephen Colbert), we Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-10438172650419639442007-09-18T21:03:00.000-04:002007-09-18T21:46:24.446-04:00My Little GourmandI've chronicled our struggles with Sean's poor eating habits before. For those of you just tuning in, here's a recap: See your right hand? With five fingers on it? That's about how many types of food Sean would eat. A veritable smorgasbord of grains (noodles, waffles, bread, bagels), a smidgen of dairy (grilled cheese, string cheese), an additional gram or two of protein (soy Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-80364283566351455072007-09-16T21:09:00.000-04:002007-09-16T22:12:42.914-04:00How Green Was My ConscienceSo we bought a car last week. Between an air compressor that went kaflooey and a variety of hoses that were gnawed apart by small woodland creatures, our trusty sedan had just exceeded our age-to-upkeep-expense ratio. (Okay, it's not an exact number; it's more a general sense of how much money we wanted to sink into maintaining an elderly vehicle.)The new car is a Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-66793101774535158102007-09-14T08:53:00.001-04:002007-09-14T09:17:03.505-04:00Puzzle Me ThisI am not a puzzle person. The prospect of methodically assembling puzzle pieces into a whole does not entice me. After all that effort, what do you have? A picture that you will disassemble and put back in the box. This is not very Zen of me, I know, but in this respect I am all about the destination, not the journey.My nephew, on the other hand, loves puzzles. The more complicated Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-61285809500765854912007-09-13T14:50:00.000-04:002007-09-13T14:54:11.573-04:00Just So I Don't ForgetSome cute things just need to be recorded lest they leak out of my mind. Both are from Allie:Upon reading a book about dinosaurs: "Mommy, look at that big Dinosaurus rex!"****Apropos of nothing, in the car on the way to school: "Will I marry Sean when I'm grown up?"Oh my. I hope not.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-16399025118662075402007-09-12T10:10:00.001-04:002007-09-12T10:27:20.079-04:00First Day of PreschoolIt was Monday, actually. I am running several paces behind schedule.This was no more apparent than on Monday. All summer I had wondered, and sometimes worried, how I would manage the pick-up and drop-off of two kids in two different schools with concurrent school hours. Both start school at 9 and end at 11:30. Sean's school is a few blocks away; Allie's is a 10-minute Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-50501763370653753322007-09-08T20:02:00.001-04:002007-09-08T20:07:40.480-04:00My DaemonThis was too cool to pass up. Care to assess the accuracy of my daemon? It is starting out as a spider, which seems ironic given my arachnophobia. Thanks to Chichimama for the link. ="400"> ;://goldencompassmovie.com/goldenCompass_blog.swf?id=254630">Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-32186046125921809852007-09-07T07:56:00.000-04:002007-09-07T08:06:14.542-04:00And So It BeginsI got only mildly choked up in the schoolyard yesterday morning. I don't think Sean noticed -- he was too busy taking in all the hub-bub as he waited to go into his classroom. He had a big smile on his face when I picked him up. He said kindergarten was great. Just don't ask him for specifics. Where I want a detailed, minute-by-minute description, he prefers to give me a simple Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-60503882582267372612007-09-05T20:52:00.000-04:002007-09-05T21:16:46.567-04:00Not Exactly My Plan for the Night Before KindergartenIt was a lovely evening -- clear skies, cool breeze, the last night before the chaos of the school year descends. The kids were playing a game of ring around the rosy with our neighbors across the street. The grownups were chatting about back to school plans.The kids' game ended suddenly as one neighbor's older daughter erupted in shrieks of Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-90178109432210987752007-08-31T10:10:00.000-04:002007-08-31T11:03:57.460-04:00BittersweetHome again! And this time, as far as I can tell, for a good long while, too. Our trip to visit my sister was, as always, a lot of fun. I wish we could do it more often, and for a longer period. This time we were just there for three days. Still, we managed to squeeze a large amount of juice from even that short time (I KNOW that metaphor doesn't work at all. Humor me.). There was an Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-69299667569174934022007-08-26T23:04:00.000-04:002007-08-26T23:38:17.036-04:00Disney World Part 2: Bibbidi Bobbidi Bite MeSo there were a few less than delightful aspects of our trip. May I vent for a moment?-- I was right to be concerned about the heat. There's hot, and then, apparently, there's "August in Disney World" hot. So freaking hot. It made me a wee bit irritable. We used a spray mister fan and kept reasonably well hydrated, and I still wanted to shoot someone atSuzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-89497995259976542812007-08-26T09:10:00.000-04:002007-08-26T10:25:01.448-04:00Disney World Part 1: The MagicWe're back! We're exhausted! We're leaving for another trip tomorrow!Just some highlights for now:-- Sean and Allie are at the perfect age for appreciating the magic of Disney World. It was as if their imaginary play worlds had come to life for them. They not only read Winnie the Pooh but also bounced through the Hundred Acre Woods; not only watch Peter Pan but also Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-11561187308914354172007-08-14T09:05:00.000-04:002007-08-14T09:30:38.582-04:00Forget the Mouse, We're Here for the PrincessesIn a practically unheard-of bit spontaneity, we've decided to go to Disney World. This Sunday.Okay, it's not as if we just planned the trip yesterday, but it was only about 3 weeks ago that Jeff talked me into transforming our idle chitchat about a family trip to Disney World into an actual vacation with booked airline tickets and hotel reservations.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-62868568194860153152007-08-12T20:18:00.000-04:002007-08-12T20:48:01.013-04:00A Thank You Note to My ChildrenDear Sean and Allie:Thank you so, so much for being supreme troupers on our return trip from northern Virginia.First, you slept through my realization that the front tires seemed to be making a repetitive "bump thump" sound as we zoomed up 95. You didn't awaken until after I had pulled off the interstate, found a gas station, parked in front of an air pump, and Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-91512312637455324792007-08-09T20:01:00.000-04:002007-08-09T20:16:27.267-04:00Most Boring Post Ever"Really?" you ask. "How on earth could you possibly single one out among all the duds you've written?"Because THIS post is a list of what's on Sean and Allie's summer reading log for the library. Doesn't get less exciting than this. I just wanted to note, for them and for me and for posterity, what we read this summer before I turn in the logs tomorrow. I do apologize that Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-9769971033019302472007-08-07T08:28:00.000-04:002007-08-07T08:33:31.894-04:00About That Gender Neutral PronounWhy is it that the use of the generic "he" sends me into fits of apoplexy, and yet I routinely and blithely summon my children by saying "Hey, guys!"?Score another victory for the partriarchy, I guess.Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-47855804760288449752007-08-03T08:12:00.000-04:002007-08-03T08:48:19.323-04:00A Few Surfside ObservationsI encourage you to embrace my new philosophy: Sand -- It Comes Off Eventually, You Know. I have found that not freaking out about the sand in every crevice of my children's bodies has made my beach demeanor much more pleasant.I continue to be amazed at how much work it is to bring young kids to the beach. However, each year it gets a little bit easier, at least while Suzannenoreply@blogger.com0