Still stuck in the ’80s over here. It’s my new comfort zone apparently. I’m all better, recovered from surgery, feeling okay. Now Wacky Girl has a cold, fever, sore throat and wants to throw things around the room. She’s learned from the best, I guess.

Off to do yoga, vacuum, watch more videos and placate my sweet daughter.

xxox

wm

ps — who can live without a little Ebn Ozn?

You know why I love my children’s teachers? They are smarter than I am. Yes, sir. They truly are. And as a mom who loves the hours between 8:45 and 3 p.m., I really liked this post. Bring on the free cheese.

suspire (suh-SPYR) verb tr., intr.

[From Latin suspirare (to breathe up), from spirare (to breathe).]

(Thanks, Anu.)

I don’t really like being wide awake at 3:30 a.m., the cat pressing on my leg, a kid snoring in my ear. I like my kid — I like both of ’em, thank God — and I like my cats — all three of them, but at 3:30 a.m.? What I really like is sleep.

I’m running the dishwasher (finally), blogging, catching up on work e-mails. Yeah, baby.

You?

wm

To my son, who is now six: Happy Birthday, kid. Keep reading.

Love,

Mommy

In the front of “Oh Say Can You Say” there’s a note from Wacky Boy’s Uncle W.:

“May I suggest Dr. Seuss for learning to read, meeting chicks and getting tattoos. There is always more with these books.”

Uncle W.
April 2004

That’s right. My son was two that year and already getting girl and tattoo advice from his Unky. This year he gave him a couple of “Summerland” (Michael Chabon) for his birthday. Wacky Boy’s auntie and grandma loaded him up with “Magic Treehouse.” We like 2 read.

But wait — there’s more!

Have any of you read this series? We’re just getting started…

Happy Sunday to you all. I’m now an official Volunteer Parent/Community Member Librarian.

Am thrilled.

xxox

WM

I think you can probably guess how I feel when I don’t post daily. Or five times daily. That I’ve disappointed you. Let you down. Left you longing for… something you’re not getting here.

Just know, I have several projects and ideas hanging fire.

my husband: “Maybe you should ask my dad what he thinks?” (My father-in-law, who is a fairly wise and all-knowing, practical and level-headed kind of guy.)

me: “No. Because he’ll say what he always says, ‘Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaance… no, no, no. No!’ Then he tears out what little is left of his hair.”

my husband: “And is he ever wrong?”

me: “No.” (Dammit, don’t people like that make you nuts?)

OK, must go. I have the following things to contemplate…

1) master’s degree? Should I go for it? If so, in what? (Am considering Library Media advanced degree.) (Yes, I know there are no jobs for librarians.) (Because I like books is why! Don’t you?)

2) A soon-to-be-six-year-old’s birthday party. It will involve… rocks. And chocolate cupcakes.

3) My constant clashing of heads with my 8-year-old. (Unlike my father-in-law, she is not always right.) (Nor am I.)

4) Haiku: Why does it exist?

5) Blogs: Will I ever be able to keep up with them again? How about just my own?

6) Book reviews: I need to write some.

7) My husband and one kid went to Denver for spring break. I stayed home with feverish other kid. Should I feel ripped off? No, am too exhausted.

8) It costs fifty bucks every time I fill up my gas tank. I used to coast into the gas station, give the guys two bucks in change and coast out. Ah, youth. Why have you forsaken me?

9) My granny: I never call her. (She never calls me, either, but she’s 87. I need to check on her.)

10) That’s it. Knitting is going well, writing is going not so well, my house is extremely clean after being home for almost a week with a sick kid.

You?

xxox

wm

So, I was dreaming I was eating strawberries, from our new plants. (Nekkid Neighbor can’t remember the name of these berries. In my dream they are called Harvest Heritage Strawberries.) (There is no such plant, don’t bother googling.) (???) (Honestly, I don’t care what they’re called — they’re lush and huge and so full of flavor. They’re the best strawberries I’ve ever had. That’s why I had to have some of her plants.)

My husband and I were having breakfast in the yard, in this dream. Gorgeous morning, fresh coffee and strawberries and pancakes or something, I have no idea. We were talking and laughing. Then I woke up.

Dear, sweet son was having wracking cough at six a.m., refused water. No fever, so that is a good thing. (Knock wood.) We both slept in until after 10 and woke up to…

Snow.

A powdering, not much, but still, snow. In Portland, Oregon! In almost-April!!! And all over the strawberry plants, which are quite hardy and I am sure will do just fine. (Knocking wood for no fever and for strawberries surviving the transplant.) No Fuchsia Saturday for us tomorrow, no planting potatoes. (I found a box of sprouted potatoes, forgotten from last fall’s harvest, down in the basement.)

I am laughing, and taking a minute to enjoy this craziest week ever.

best,

WM

Five p.m. weather and health update, just for Vixen: It’s hailing. That’s the third time this afternoon. Wacky Boy has had no fever all day, hall-e-LUjah, is drinking lots of liquids but refuses to eat anything besides breakfast bars. But that is not out of the ordinary, at all.

The antibiotics reportedly taste like “GRASS and DIRT! I hope you KNOW THIS!” says my son.

I do know one thing — if you’re yelling and complaining like that, you’re feeling better.

Will keep you all posted. Happy Thursday. Sorry 13ers — no list of my own today. But the whole trying to get the kid to take his antibiotics reminded me of this… I don’t know who wrote it, but it’s awfully funny. xo wm

HOW TO GIVE A CAT A PILL (more…)

I would like if my son would get well, the poor thing. He’s been sick for three weeks now!

Fever: once in awhile, but not super-high, and not high enough to keep him down for long (with the exception of yesterday, when he put himself to bed in the middle of the day.)

Throwing up: one time. Two weeks ago?

Coughing: Constantly, but until this morning, sounded like a “getting better” cough, not an “wheezing, unable to catch breath” cough. Until today.

Runny nose: He’s five. He always has a runny nose.

My nerves: Frayed. (more…)

Thanks to the Wacky Nekkid Neighbors, I now have two full beds of strawberries plants rooting into the rich, crumbly dirt in my back yard.

I have been down. I get the blues, the mean reds, the woe is me tragic-tragics.Thank you again, Naked Sheep. Thanks for the rest of our lives. We love you guys.

I’m talking a rainbow of yarns, in cotton, mohair, angora, acrylic, everything under the sun. They’ve donated needles — straights and circular — patterns, half-finished projects, everything you could think of. Several knitters have stepped up to help.

Three other knitters want to start an afterschool club. To those of you (and you know who you are. And no, you probably aren’t even reading this blog) — to those of you who scoff and act like knitting doesn’t “count.” You’re wrong. It counts.

I’m starting to feel better already.

From the Columbia River Council Girl Scout listserv this morning:

“Girls Scouts behind bars? Be prepared for an unorthodox and transforming story that follows the girls of Austin Texas Troop 1500. Well-versed in the “Be Prepared” mantra of the Girl Scouts, spunky troop leader Julia Cuba guides her girl scouts into the concrete jungle in which their mothers live.

The daughters must continually adapt to new emotional territory, and the mothers find that their best intentions are too often trumped by their weaknesses. With its beautiful camerawork and skillful use of videotaped interviews conducted by the daughters and their moms, “TROOP 1500″ is a candid, moving look at families torn apart by crime but trying to relate beyond prison walls.”

— Orlando Sentinel

“An estimated 1.5 million children have incarcerated parents and 90 percent of female inmates are single parents. Their daughters are six times more likely to land in the juvenile justice system. TROOP 1500 poignantly reveals how an inspired yet controversial effort by the 90+ year old Girl Scouts Organization is working to help these at-risk young girls deal with their unique circumstances and break the cycle of crime within families.

For Personal, Home Use only

ELLEN SPIRO’S DIRECTOR’S CUT

To order a DVD of the Director’s Cut (12 more minutes than TV version) of TROOP 1500 click here. These DVDs are not for public viewing or institutional use. 100% of profits from this special “Director’s Cut” DVD go to a Mobilus Opportunity Fund for the girls in TROOP 1500. The DVDs cost $34.95, plus $4 shipping and handling.

For educational, institutional and public screenings of Troop 1500 please click here.