Great series by Chris Raschka, “Thingy Things,” includes our Wacky Favorite, “Doggy Dog,” along with “Goosey Goose,” “Moosey Moose” and “Sluggy Slug.” Get the whole series — they’re too cool. Fanciful illustrations, funny words. Wacky Boy is ga-ga for them.

No word from C yet. I think she’s in Gulfport, probably helping more people, is my guess. Will post when i hear from her…

WM

Still no word from C and R.

WG loving school and her new friends.

WM

No word today from C. I know she’s working her ass off. C, if you read this — we love you and R and the kids and the whole family! Maybe you finally got to see your Mom? I hope…

Now, a brief word about housework. As some of you know, I have a love/hate relationship with housework. I love a clean house; I hate what it takes to get it there. Newest trick: Mop the kitchen floor right before it’s time to start cooking dinner and delay the process.

And… Does anyone have questions? I’ve abandoned the Friday Advice Column for Neurotic Mothers & Others, in case you haven’t noticed. I also answer Haircare and Daycare questions, fyi.

WM

And already with the lice? (Not us, thanks for asking.) Damn. Those school nurses do not get paid enough. Wacky Girl is itching, I’m itching, Wacky Boy is itching, scritch, scritch, scritch.

She had a great day — all is well here.

No word today from C.

Wacky Girl was playing with this “bio-dot” tester they put in with my hire packet. It’s an Employee Assistance Program handout, apparently. You paste a little dot between your forefinger and thumb, wait for it to change colors, and it gauges your mood. (Uh, I didn’t need a bio-dot kit to judge WG’s mood earlier.) It’s kinda like a sticky dot version of a Mood Ring.

“It’s brown, see?” she sez. “I’m tense. What’s tense?”

Wacky Boy jumps in, “I’m tense.”

Me: “You’re both tense?”

WB, nodding: “Very tense.”

Me, i’m relaxed as hell, being unemployed and all.

from WM:

staying home today, not going to fountain, not going to park, not going out for Last-Day-Of-Summer-Before-School-Starts-Tomorrow celebration lunch cuz Wacky Girl is morose and weepy. She is the youngest in her class. And the smartest, according to her. (And me :)

“So I guess I’ll just be the youngest, and the smartest, all year,” she said, huddled in lump in corner of kitchen, crying, in between chewing on a zucchini muffin top.

Then she came up with a plan: Flunk first grade. “It’ll be harder than kindergarten!” she said. And brightened up at the possibility of having to re-do first grade, thus being one of the oldest, next year. Good to have goals, i guess.

I’m morose and weepy still over flooding, and everyone uprooted or worse. Prayers and more prayers and off to light my candles.

Help however you can — lots of clothing drives, food drives and fundraisers going on around the country. Sean Penn took a boat around to pick up survivors. Harry Connick Jr. and Sean Penn need to run for president and vice-president.

lots of love,

WM

ps I quit my new job. Just. Like. That. Turns out they didn’t want someone part-time. Well, they wanted to pay for part-time, but have them there full-time, Mon-Fri. It just wasn’t swinging for me. You know what they say in Texas — Que sara, sara.

from C, Monday, 9/5/05

We are going to see my mom this week. I think she has a house full of people who were left homeless by katrina. I have been volunteering through my school down at one of the shelters. I’ve been working in one of the medical clinics so I’ve seen firsthand what has happened to these people, both physically and mentally. I’ve had an unbelievable experience and gotten to work with some great doctors. Although I’ve done a lot of good there it’s hard to handle. People’s lives ripped apart by the loss of loved ones and what little they had, their entire universe thrown into chaos by such horrors that no one should ever experience, and having nowhere to go. Many were evacuated before the storm and many were barely rescued in time, only to have to live through the dome and convention center fiascos. Fighting for their lives even after the storm. The personal items kits they hand out usually have a disposable razor. They have to be taken out so that they can’t be used as a weapon againt self or others because no one is sure of what has happened to these people when they get to us. My brain hurts and I feel broken inside. I’ve never seen so many people hurting so badly. R knows many of the people who have killed themselves in government and law enforcement. And I heard from one of the animal people that they may have been ordered in New Orleans to shoot any stray animals they find in the city. I can’t express how my life has changed. Just know I’ve stopped several times during this to cry.

love,

c

From C, Fri. Sept. 2, mid-morning:

Bush is supposed to be down here sometime. I’m sure just to detract security and rescue forces from what they should be doing so they can protect his lame ass. Believe me if they are shooting and killing rescuers just think of what they would like to do to him. My brother-in-law met another rescuer last nite that had saved a guy, a Dr no less, after he had been bike-jacked and robbed when he tried to evacuate (I think before the storm).

It’s horrible here. And my friend R just told me Harry Connick Jr rolled into town (N.O.) on the I-10 that they told us was unpassable and was bitching out the mayor for claiming they couldn’t get in there. I think they finally started getting water and stuff to them but like i said, too little to damn late.

Thanks,

C

From C, mid-morning Fri., Sept. 1:

Mom is with the pets and all are fine. Her friend M’s house was destroyed and 8 of the 9 cats she had to leave behind are missing. We are all doing good. Just wating for water to go down and get in there to my sister’s. We just wait. Thanks for your support. It’s all I really need right now. What is J’s last name? I’ll try you later,

C