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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Proof that my husband and I are TOTALLY intellectuals
(and presumptive as shit too)

While going for a short hike while Tori is at camp, Charlie and I have the following conversation after listening to NPR discussing the economic crisis AGAIN on the way to the hike.

Me: I wonder if the whole financial industry collapse is partially a result of the prevalence of people with MBAs* working in business now.

Charlie: What do you mean?

Me: Well, it used to be that you started a business from scratch, slowly built it up until it was successful, and when you became CEO you had some experience in all facets of the company, and weren't just a 25 year old former grad student.

Charlie: Or you used to start in the mail room at a big company and work your way up so that you could also learn about the business from the inside.

Me: Yeah, it's kinda like the whole MFA* thing; writers used to live their lives and then write about living and now they go to school and write deeply clever and referential novels when they're 25 years old and have only ever been in school.

Charlie: Yeah, no one goes "On The Road" anymore; they just reference Kerouac when they write instead of actually experiencing it.

Me: Yeah, the people that are starting high up in business now with their MBAs that created the whole "mortgages as stocks**" thing are all probably so young they've maybe never actually HAD a mortgage so they don't really get that a mortgage isn't a "commodity" but actually the epitome of someone's HOME where they live and breathe and shit and fuck.

Charlie: True, it's easy then to just think about mortgages as ephemeral and fantasy-like if you've never had one.

Me: So maybe the best way to beat back the mortgage crisis is to just make all MBAs start in the mail room.

Charlie: Totally.

DISCLAIMER: We are most likely FULL OF SHIT and don't really know much about anything. We're just smart asses. Perhaps we shouldn't be allowed to have child-free time if this is the shit we talk about when Tori's not there. Heh.

*I do not have anything against either MBAs or MFAs. No, really, I don't. We're just talking, right?

**This is vastly simplifying it. I KNOW.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Pout of the Sea

I meant to blog today, but I have the mid-summer fuck-its. I'm sorry. In apology, I give you the cutest thing in the world: Tori singing Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid.


Pout of the Sea from Cecily Kellogg on Vimeo.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Someone's Got A Case of the Mondays! Episode 8,362

I meant to post earlier today but I was in a MOOD. Just... gah. A MOOD. And not a good one either.

I hate when this happens, and I don't have a decent explanation -- say, PMS -- and it just goes on and on. There's no particular reason for me to feel crappy; we just have the usual cornucopia of bullshit (pushy toddler, late-paying clients, no money). Charlie is feeling the pressure since he's the money manager in our house, and my worry meter is off the scale thanks to my mom's current crappy situation (stupid nasty roommate of my mom's actually fucking ATTACKED her -- this after my mom let her live there for two years for FREE; plus, she's facing financial hurdles of her own).

I had therapy today and it was one of those sessions where I just kind of dumped and vented at my therapist and I didn't feel any better. Plus there were a few minutes when I wanted to kill her; I was discussing Tori's behavior and she said, "What is it that you and Charlie do that makes her do that?" and my head kind of blew off. But I got it together and managed to get something out of the appointment.

I mentioned to her that I feel kind of ripped off because I was in a good mood for like ten days and I really thought it was the anti-depressants working and I thought that meant I wouldn't have to be in a damned bitchy mood anymore. She pointed out that those ten days of feeling good just might have had more to do with my vacation than the actual medication. She suggested perhaps I stop whining and start exercising again (I've missed a few days because... well... because I have a blister on my heel and my shoes hurt. Shut up), and I opted to NOT increase my antidepressant dose in an attempt to feel all happy all the time. Even though I totally want a pill to make it ALL FUCKING BETTER.

Arg.

I promptly came home from therapy and picked a fight with Charlie which was AWESOME (ask him, I am so SURE he'll agree) and then kicked and fussed and moaned for a bit before I was finally able to see reason. At least, I think I can see reason again, although I'm clearly still in mind dump territory because GOOD FUCKING GOD THIS POST IS SO ANNOYING.

Gah.

Moving on.

So, everyone is right about Tori. Your advice and responses to my last post were incredibly helpful; such great suggestions and food for thought. I really liked the responses that didn't involve hitting, but I could totally empathize with those comments too, frankly.

Several things in particular stood out; first and foremost, Charlie and I got on the same page about tantrum management. We're going to follow the very smart rule that says we can change our minds about something right up until she begins the screaming (thanks Liz, among others). Then we stand fast. Also, we will ignore tantrums, and leave the room if she's safe to give her time to cool down. I feel good about this plan, and glad Charlie and I are in agreement about coping.

Secondly, the dietary suggestions really hit a nerve. Tori doesn't get a lot of sugar (as in cake and candy and cookies) but she has begun downing juice boxes at the speed of light and we finally counted how many she was going through in a day and OH MY GOD. So we've stopped the juice boxes (with the exception of one low-sugar one that has carrot juice in it which helps her get some sort of vegetable into her body, and that we're diluting and limiting it). Secondly, we are eliminating the goldfish crackers. For a while there all she was eating was goldfish and juice boxes, which is pretty much like giving a toddler crack. Already in 36 hours we've seen both the duration and intensity of the tantrums decrease, and it almost seems as if she is just pitching a fit more out of habit than a sincere feeling of rage.

Whew.

Lastly, I'm wondering a bit, still, about the sensory disorder spectrum. I had no idea that there was another end of the spectrum that is all about sensory seeking (thanks Shandra and Heather); I knew about the sensory integration disorder (and, in fact, feel very firmly that Charlie suffered from this as a kid, based on so many of his own childhood stories. His mother treated it by beating the crap out of him; NOT an effective treatment plan). Tori matches a good 75% of the sensory seeking behavior and we've already instituted a bit of a sensory limits; we are only allowing one toy at once, requiring that she turn off the TV if she's reading or playing with a toy, and insisting that she eat at the table. We are also keeping up the physical activity and encouraging her to express herself through exercise. I know very little about this stuff and am doing more research to see if we think she needs an evaluation. However, I do have a tendency to think sometimes that she MUST have some underlying thing going on to explain why raising her is so fucking HARD sometimes, and that may not be the case at all. It just might be that she's fine and I'm the one that's dysfunctional.

Heh.

Anyway, this post is already beginning to bore me so I will end it on one last note.

If you haven't seen it already, go see the movie Away We Go. I've never seen a movie like this before: a movie that has at its heart a strong, functional couple that really love each other. Add in amazing dialog that sounds like real people I know (the last line -- and this is not a spoiler -- is "I fucking hope so."). Warning, though: for us infertile/loss people there is a moment of absolute wrenching loss that made me cry. It's done well -- beautifully, in fact -- so it feels true, but it still hurt. But the rest of the movie, oh my GOD, is just so fucking good. Don't miss it.

And thus ends my it's-practically-Tuesday-Monday post. I'm getting there, people.

Friday, July 10, 2009

*whine* Parenting Is Hard! *whine*

I guess today is going to be my post for July where I complain about parenting. So you can move on if you aren't interested.

Last night we took Tori to see a local high school's production of "The Disney Princesses." It was very well done, actually, and Tori loved it (mostly) but here is the problem: THE TALKING. Tori talked ALL DAY LONG about the show, insisting on playing Disney Princess games on the computer, reading her Disney Princess book, and listing at top volume the name of the all the princesses over and over again. And, naturally, she talked (loudly) THROUGH the entire show (just as she did when we went to see the movie Up; she does a running commentary on whatever she's seeing).

If I never see another fucking Disney Princess, it will be too fucking soon (and there went my free trip to Disney, sigh) (kidding, no one has offered me a free trip to Disney. I'm just saying now they won't.).

Second problem? THE TANTRUMS. I know some of you have suggested we not tell Tori anything that we're doing until we are on our way to go do it, but we have found that our days go better if we constantly discuss what's going to happen. Meaning before she goes to bed we go over the next day, and when she wakes up we plan out the day so she knows what to expect. But she was SO EXCITED about the damned Princesses that every. single. moment. that we WEREN'T watching the show all day long caused her to collapse into a full-on tantrum and crying and inconsolable wailing and shrieking and gnashing of teeth.

When she finally fell asleep at 10pm, I felt like I'd spent the day being pummeled. Every moment was a challenge yesterday, from getting her dressed to go to camp in the morning to changing each diaper throughout the day to getting her to eat. Each step she took forward was only taken after being threatened with either a time-out or not getting to see the Princesses. It was a horrible day, and it felt like a major parenting FAIL.

I'm sure everything Tori is doing is totally normal. I hear the ungodly shrieks of our neighbor's son, who is six months older than Tori, frequently enough to know that Tori is simply acting her age. Additionally, a lot of what we are doing is working. Charlie and I have decided to focus on Tori's manners a bit (she's become a tiny general issuing constant orders: "Sit down!" "I want a juice box! NOW!"), so we've both told her we can't hear her unless she asks for something nicely – and we're seeing some results already in just a few days. This morning I guided Tori toward a couple outfits she could choose from (both meeting her camp's standards of dress) and then I showed her how to dress herself, which took the fight out of the morning getting ready process (although we did have a bit of a battle about her not being allowed to wear a dress today). Most amazingly, I've been absolutely diligent about setting bedtime boundaries (three stories, then three lullabies, and that's it) and that's cut down the drama at bedtime. When I set boundaries with her, I make her repeat stuff back to me that I've just said so I know she gets it (THANK YOU to my darling neighbor Laurie for suggesting that, it really helps).

As you can see, it's clear to me that a firmer and firmer hand (as far as setting down rules and boundaries goes, anyway) is required with Tori to make life easier for everyone, and it's also obvious that she feels safe having a balance of choices and boundaries. That seems to work.

But I have not yet determined the appropriate response to the tantrums. The tantrums come with a full-on collapse to the floor and/or hard-core stomping of the feet, shrieking, tears, and -- when we try to intervene -- hitting. I've tried grabbing her and hugging her tightly and telling her over and over that I love her while she cries. I've tried ignoring her (she just gets up, comes over to me, and hits me). I've tried yelling more loudly than she's crying. I've tried offering her a choice of other things. I feel like I've tried everything, but they just happen more and more, and yesterday there must have been over two dozen meltdowns -- and that was only in the three hours between her nap and the Princess performance.

Plus, I worry. Is Tori's complete lack of impulse control (oh my GOD the talking) normal for her age? Shouldn't she be able to ground herself a bit more now? She clearly understands everything I'm saying to her, it's not a matter of lack of communication. We work hard to show her exactly how things are going to go before they happen. We make sure that each of us gives her plenty of undivided attention on a daily basis (so we aren't always on our laptops when she's playing in the living room, for example).

We also worry about her amazingly short attention span. She prefers, in general, to do two things at once. If she's coloring, she wants to watch TV too. If she's building blocks, she wants to tell you a story too. If we're reading a book, she wants to dance at the same time. She flits from task to task from object to object. The only thing we can get her to sit still for is computer games; she's just figured out how to use the (what do you call it?) pad thingy on the laptops so she can play simple learning games by herself, primarily. That she might do for twenty minutes at a time or so. But she can't sit still through a meal (even just a twenty minute meal at home), or for anything else, really. Even at the pool she runs back and forth between the big pool and the baby pool so frequently you get whiplash trying to keep up.

We understand that she is normal (most likely). We've had a minor evaluation (a good friend that's in the field and has spent a lot of time with Tori observing her and proclaimed her normal and smart) and she doesn't have any sensory issues or any signs of ADHD or anything at all like that. But GOOD GOD people, she's exhausting sometimes. I honestly don't know how I made it through yesterday without yelling (except maybe a bit at Charlie, ahem) at Tori and losing my shit.

Sigh.

Okay, I think I'm done with my whine. I mostly wrote this post so that I could clear my head and feel cheerful and relaxed when I pick Tori up from camp at noon today. And so that I could face the weekend with no breaks from Tori without feeling totally overwhelmed. So I consider this post an honest vent and not a complaint. Heh.

I'll end with one very positive thing. After a series of strange incidents (a gas leak at the dance studio and then the teacher was sick) we finally got Tori back to her ballet class on Wednesday. We switched classes from one immediately post nap to one a bit later in the day, and it was a good choice: SHE LOVED IT. The teacher (who sadly was a sub, but she'll be teaching in the fall) but was amazing, really engaging the kids and keeping them on their feet and active rather than focusing on the positions and placement of hands and stuff (since the kids are three to four years old, that makes sense). Tori was so cute jumping and twirling and dancing that I actually cried a little. She was just darling and at her very best; inquisitive, joyful, and bursting with happiness. Even if she couldn't quite ever manage to wait her turn to do something, she did each movement with finesse and confidence, such a delightful combination that I couldn't keep the grin off my face (yes, I laughed and cried at the same time). I desperately hope that whatever happens to her in life that she can keep just a little bit of that gleeful confidence as she faces things, because if she can, she'll be able to do anything she sets her mind to. My beautiful girl.

So there you go. The yin and yang of parenting. May today be an easier day, huh? Have a great weekend.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

In The News

I often get emails asking me to address current events, and I've let a bunch of them stockpile so this is going to be a bit of a ramble. Plus my brain is just a bit mushy from writing contact lens descriptions (yes, again) so... here goes nothing!

1. Sarah Palin.
Honestly? I feel confused. I cannot possibly fathom what the heck she thinks she's doing resigning as governor in the middle of her term – not if she has any hope for a political future. There can't be anyone out there that thinks this will HELP her, right (oops, apparently there is)? I mean, is the new slogan "Winners quit and quitters win!" Because if so, I am SO A WINNER NOW. I've always hated her politics, and I'm afraid I've been a bit judgmental at times about the choices she's made for her family, but I'm not going to engage in any of that here. I'm also sad for her if the rumors about ethical violations are true, because it always makes me sad when people are so greedy and short sighted that they shoot themselves in the foot that way. My official hope, however, is that she just realized her family needed her more than the political world did. Hell, it's just as likely as any other scenario, right?

2. The motherfucking cocksuckers at The Valley Swim Club in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Please note -- I must defend my city -- this was NOT a Philadelphia city club, but a private club outside of the city limits in a neighboring county. The kids kicked out of the club, however, where from Northeast Philadelphia. And to the assholes at the club that raised a fuss when these kids showed up, FUCK YOU. To the asshole that was "worried these kids would change the complexion of the club" DOUBLE ASS FUCK YOU. You suck, your club sucks, I hope you get your assed sued until the end of time and your wallets are empty. To the kids that had to suffer this, MY GOD I AM SO SORRY SOME WHITE PEOPLE ARE SO FUCKING STUPID. Gah. I wish I could be more eloquent on this subject without all the damned swearing but it just pisses me off so fucking much I could hurt someone. I better not meet the President of that swim club in person because after I do he will NO LONGER HAVE BALLS. Fucker.

3. President Obama. I just wanted to stick in one positive thing. I was listening the news from the BBC in London the other day and an announcer was discussing Obama's recent visit to Russia. He mentioned a point that Obama made in a speech and he said, "President Obama, AS EVER, stated it very elegantly..." (emphasis totally mine). Dudes, the idea that we not only have an "elegant" President, finally, but that is he "as ever" eloquent and clear, MAKES ME EXCEEDINGLY HAPPY.

4. The Fat Girl's Guide To Living. Okay, so maybe it's not in the news. However. As I am getting more active again (I've been walking nearly every day! And sometimes I even kinda-sorta run a bit! Woot!), this awesome online guide to active fatness (wait; active fatties? I dunno) could not have come at a better time. This fantastic site (full disclosure: run by the awesome Toni who is a frequent commenter here and a friend, with others) tackles all the questions a fat girl wants to know like, "Is there an inflatable camping mattress that will hold me?" and "Can my ass fit in a kayak?" CHECK IT OUT. It is the bomb.

5. Um, shoot
. I can't remember the rest. If there is something else you want me to discuss, post it in the comments. I'll get to it. I swear. :)

(I promise to get back to some deep posts soon about Important Things. I will. I swear. Damn, I'm swearing a lot today. Damn it. How unlike me.)

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

37 Months

My Darling Tori Anne,

Sweet girl! You are 37 months old. A month older than 3. I still can't believe you are three; you have become such a big girl these days I can hardly stand it. The vestiges of babyhood are few and far between on you now: a bit of a dimple of baby chub on the backs of your thighs, a hint in your cheeks, and your general deliciousness.

What? pigtails

You've grown up quite a bit in the last few months. A couple of weeks ago you had a major vocabulary and talking breakthrough. You no longer just say a full sentence or two; now you can tell long, rambling stories full of delightful details. Sometimes you talk for so long and so much it's difficult for anyone to get a word in edgewise, which leads to a lot of us asking you to allow the adults to talk now and then. One night you told me a story that lasted for a full hour. No, I am totally not kidding. AN HOUR. Girl, you can TALK. I have NO IDEA where you got that from.

Swinging

You continue to be a super high energy and very physical child. You are awake for about twelve hours any given day, and at least six of those hours need to be spent in serious, hard core play. Thankfully, the weather finally stopped being cold and rainy and we can now go to the pool, the single best place to wear you out in existence. Except maybe the beach; the beach is even better (but the beach is two hours away and the pool is two minutes away). Your Daddy and I have been working to get into better shape so that we can keep up with your ever-increasing capacity for physical activities. Because if you keep needing more, we're going to both have to get in shape. Thank you for that.

Tori sleeps

After three years of being a great sleeper, you have begun to decide that the world is FAR TOO INTERESTING to miss any of it by sleeping it away. Nap time has become a battle, and while most kids your age seem to stop napping, you really still need it to be in a good mood. Bedtime is tougher and tougher and you have been routinely staying up until 9pm or so. We don't mind; evening time is some of the best part of the day. Lately we've been going for meandering walks in the neighborhood after dinner and that's been a great deal of fun, except we have to accept that we all (me, your Daddy, and the dog) have to walk at the pace of a three-year-old that finds EVERY SINGLE ROCK worth a looooong stop and perusal.

Tori the builder

You continue to be smart and curious. You haven't yet hit the "Why?" phase, but it's coming, I can tell. You want to touch everything, try everything, taste everything, and learn about everything. You absorb the world around you with delight and good-hearted greed; you really, really love being alive. It's amazing.

Tori tastes the water

You are also very, very funny. You play jokes on me and your Daddy, and you tell funny stories. You love it if we make you laugh, and sometimes you and I crack each other up so much that we can hardly breathe from the laughing. One of my favorite moments each day is your bedtime final hug (more a delaying tactic on your part than any actually longing for a hug, I think) when I hug you so tight you can't breathe and then kiss you like crazy. You sag in my arms and laugh and laugh. It's adorable. Almost as adorable as when you go berry picking in the living room and make us eat the imaginary berries (but when we offer you one, you say "I don't like berries.").

Funny face

As marvelous as you are, you still present some challenges. The non-stop talking can be a bit of a killer. Your amazing ability to walk super sloooooooooowly when we have to get somewhere at a certain time (seriously, nothing drives me crazier than the slow walk; NOTHING). You continually shout demands at us, forgetting to say please or even frame the question nicely ("I want a juice box!" "Sit down now!" "I want my squirrel!" "Play with me now!"). You still resist the most basic day to day operations such as getting bathed, getting dressed, brushing your teeth, but we are being very consistent about insisting. I just wish that we could do the basic day-to-day stuff without resorting to threats of time-outs. One morning you stayed in your crib shrieking for nearly a half an hour because I refused to let you wear a dress that was filthy. That was AWESOME.

Tori daddy's lap

But then there are other times that you are crazy cute and adorable. Like yesterday when you said, "Mommy? I REALLY love you." Or when you sat on your Daddy's lap at the 4th of July parade. Or when you load up nine of your stuffed animals in the toy stroller and wheel them around the house. Or the happy and excited face you get when we tell you that we are doing something you love. Also, although we're still working on your manners, you have mastered the art of "excuse me." You never interrupt without saying "excuse me," although sometimes you YELL IT VERY LOUDLY WHILE OTHERS ARE TALKING. Which is kind of cute, I have to say.

Tori, you continue to rock my world on a daily basis -- both in good ways and bad. I love how much you are learning each day and how much you are teaching me about who I am and how I need to grow up too. I cannot imagine the world without you; I love you so much, a bit more each day. Someday the love I have for you will grow bigger than the universe.

Love,

Mommy

Wet close up

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Excuse Me While I Rant
(about something most of you probably don't care about)

Dear IFC:

I was thrilled to hear you have chosen to film your first original movie for your channel. I was even more thrilled to hear you were going to use the awesome Anita Blake books by Laurell K. Hamilton as your inspiration. Anita Blake is a great character, and I've wondered, frankly, what was taking Hollywood so damned long to start making movies about Ms. Blake, because the books have it all: hot vampires, sexy werewolves, and a kick-ass heroine who also happens to be a necromancer. The premise is brilliant, original, and ripe for film.

However.

For some reason, you appear to have decided to target the film to your "core" audience, 18-34 MALES. Can I offer a bit of a friendly warning?

DON'T BE A BUNCH OF DUMB ASSES.

Dudes (and pardon me, but I'm assuming you ARE dudes), y'all have heard of Twilight, right? The crazy successful book and movie about vampires? Have you perhaps noted who reads those books? GIRLS AND WOMEN. (Note: Laurell K. Hamilton is probably NOT the books you want your teens and preteens to graduate to after reading Twilight. Just so you know.)

Some publishing houses have their own Vampire Fiction departments. Who writes those books? WOMEN. Who edits those books? WOMEN. Who publishes those books? WOMEN. Who buys those vampire books? WOMEN.

NOT MEN.

Men do NOT like sexy vampires. They like scary vampires, like that new book by Guillermo Del Toro.

Vampire fiction, however, is PORN FOR WOMEN. And Laurell K. Hamilton's books in particular feature hot, hot, hard core vamp on human action (and werewolf on vamp action, and sometimes vamp AND werewolf on human action...). My husband likes the Laurell K. Hamilton books not because they feature stories that interest him, but because THEY GET HIM LAID.

As much as I enjoy the True Blood series on HBO (part of the inspiration for your new movie, I'm sure), I've been saddened to see Sookie Stackhouse -- the MAIN CHARACTER IN THE NOVELS (by Charlaine Harris) -- relegated to a supporting role as the show focuses on all the male characters like Sam, Bill, and Eric. Hell, even the drag queen chef -- briefly mentioned at best in the books -- gets more screen time than Sookie.

Don't make the same mistake. Look past the end of your 18-34 year old male nose and see where the true heart of the cash lies: with WOMEN.

As a vampire freak aficionado, I implore you. Don't fuck up Anita Blake. Because I will cut you.

Sincerely,

Cecily of Uppercase Woman

_______________________________________

Hey, here are a couple self-aggrandizing links to check out... :)

The folks at Scribnia interviewed me.

Remember this editorial I wrote? Yeah, well this dude has decided to do a line-by-line response to my story. Warning: some of what he says about Nicholas and Zachary is very harsh, so steel yourself. Here is his response over at RHRC.org. Comment at RHRC (please) and not his personal blog (where he posts the same article but also uses a photo without either my permission or the photographers, but whatev). I do think it's very interesting to see his viewpoint. No, I am not upset about what he wrote, he has a right to his opinion and I respect his right to say what he thinks, even though I do feel like he doesn't get it. But that's my right.

Lastly, for excellent analysis about the vampire genre stuff, check out this Salon article. Well said!

End of rant, and end of links. :)

Monday, July 06, 2009

Stupid Vanity

So, Saturday I took Tori to the pool for a few hours. From 11am to 2pm. And while I lathered Tori up repeatedly in 60+ sunblock, did I do the same for myself?

No.

Why not? This is so stupid I want to hang my head in shame.

Because I wanted to get a bit of a tan. Why? Because of BlogHer.

I've seen a gazillion posts about people losing weight, getting new shoes, and doing other various things to prepare for the convention. Me? I decide to go for a "healthy glow" and end up with fucking sun poisoning. I feel like crap and I can't wear a bra without severe pain. Now, instead of looking all relaxed and bronzed, I'll be a peeling ugly mess at the convention.

I am, officially, AN IDIOT.

PS: Please skip the skin cancer lectures. I KNOW. I already said I was an idiot.

_____________________________________

Please regale me with tales of vanity that backfired on you. As I lay about and moan while popping ibuprofen like a lunatic with my boobs all akimbo, I will be able to laugh and enjoy your misery as well. And thank you in advance. :D

Sunday, July 05, 2009

4th of July: Video Post

I'm sure you'll find this fascinating, but here is our family's celebration of the holiday. Includes parade, dinner, and fireworks -- all under three minutes. I promise plenty of Tori clips are mixed in there. Enjoy! :)


July 4th, 2009 from Cecily Kellogg on Vimeo.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Things I've Been Meaning To Mention That Are Of No Particular Importance

1. Tori has gotten much, much better. We're not sure if it's the attitude adjustment on our part (which has been a biggy) or that she's had a major breakthrough developmentally related to language. Dudes, this kid can TALK. One night on vacation as I lay in bed with her trying to get her to sleep she did -- literally -- an hour long lecture on everything from what happened that day to a variety of stories about her stuffed animals. She's been talking, and well, for ages, but now she can really speak AT LENGTH. And how.

2. Sarah has another show. It's already been up for a month or so but it's running through August so if you are in the Philadelphia area please stop at 21st and South Streets to admire the amazing photography of my very bestest friend. And, of course, buy lots of her stuff so she has money and stuff.

3. I would have thought this was obvious, but a bunch of folks have asked, so... YES I AM GOING TO BLOGHER AGAIN. It's in Chicago this year and I'm leaving in three short weeks. Whee! Yes, Sarah is going with me again too although she'll be out being a photographer during the day and I'll be at the convention seeing a bunch of people I adore. I won't do one of those braggy "omg I'm gonna see such-and-such famous blogger" posts (mostly because for me the awesome part of the conference is the conversations in quiet corners that happen -- Military Mama, I'm talkin' about you) but I will say this: after five long years of online camaraderie and friendship, I am finally going to meet Julia in person for the first time. I may spend the whole weekend hugging her tight, so if you see a hot blond at BlogHer with a short, fat redhead attached to her leg, that would be us.

4. Speaking of conferences... have I mentioned that I'm a speaker at the awesome new Type-A Mom Conference? No? Oops. Sorry. I am. I'm a super psyched. I hope you can all come, it's gonna rock da house. Seriously, check out the speakers. DA-YUM I am humbled by their company.

5. Um, I also had another column up over at Alpha Mom. Yeah, it was like two weeks ago already, but I totally forgot to mention it with vacation and all. Sorry. Check it out now, if ya don't mind. It's funny. I think. 

That's it, I think. Is there anything you forgot to tell me? :D

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