Night before last, I was watching a TV show with OLOPM, and we were chatting. About 10 minutes before the end (it was Law and Order), and the monitor starts squawking: one of the girls is fussing. I wait a minute or two to see if she settles again, but no, the crying [...]

For 4.5 years I’ve mostly gotten away with avoiding those hysterical meltdowns that children are prone to in public places.
Today, my uppance has come.
We were at the local back-crackers for my regular treatment (at this point, I’ve financed said doc’s summer home) and Rose decides to be um…cranky. So she and the [...]

On Wednesday, my mother (aka Our Lady of Perpetual Motion), comes into town for a visit.
I’m genetically wired to go into hardcore cleaning mode when my mom comes to visit. Partially because that’s how she is when she has company, and partially because I want to have a clean (and therefore pride-worthy) home for [...]

Come to find out, Tattooed Dad and I disagree strongly on this issue. He’s been posting about it for a couple of days, and I’ve been struggling with how I feel about it.
I grew up with guns. I’ve handled guns, fired guns, bought guns (for a gift, believe it or not). I [...]

If you have not seen Guillermo del Toro’s El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) you absolutely MUST do so.
It is not a movie for young children: it is very dark and has several scenes of very realistic, very gory violence. The fantasy creatures are very detailed, and more than a little unnerving.
The cinamatography is [...]

Bean had a bit of a birthday gathering this past weekend.
Several folks brought gifts: many of said gifts have lots of pieces.
We are organizationally challenged in this household. Tattooed Dad is very disorganized (ask anyone who has seen his office, which, right now is on the better than average side of [...]

I found one of my favorite old belts when I was cleaning up the office/guest room for the impending grammy visit. I made a big, big mistake.
I tried the belt on.
Even knowing that the belt was from my just-out-of-college days, and (ahem) many years and more changes have befallen my poor body, having the [...]

Today is my beanie’s 2nd birthday.
She was a surprise child, and continues to be one.  She is beautiful, courageous, smart, daring and induces protection and panic in alternate turns.  She is a giggler.  She tries to do everything her sister does.  One of her first real words was “shoot!” (I *try* not to swear in [...]

Today I learned that a co-worker, someone I had known for years, died yesterday.
He was one of the grouchiest, crabbiest most miserable people I’ve ever known. He was a challenge professionally: he was a complainer, demanding and relentless. He was incredibly difficult to deal with.
And now he’s gone.
I confess to [...]

Like the Bloodhound Gang, I think boobies are great. All kinds, all shapes…boobies are one of the great things about being a girl.
When I as pregnant, a friend of mine said something to the effect of “your boobs are going to get HUGE”. As it happens, he was right. To [...]