Did You Know...

...that grown-ups don't throw tantrums? They just cry softly, without throwing a fit.

(Um, sure. Unless you are talking about this grown-up in situations that involve traffic, ruined dry cleaning or customer service at Amazon.)

Long Time No Blog

Gentle readers (all three of you),

I know, I know, I've been neglecting my posts. There's plenty to share, but not enough time at the moment to provide enough clever detail. Here's a snapshot of my work week:

Monday, 8 a.m.: Trip to hospital with my dad. Chest pain. He is fine. Not satisfied with a phantom heart attack, he is eating hamburgers and smoking cigarettes almost immediately upon his discharge from the ER.

Tuesday, 12:30 a.m.: Lu pees in bed. 4:30 a.m.: Lu wakes up again with a cough that sounds like the TB ward. We are all up for the day.

Wednesday: kind of normal day.

Thursday, 8:15 a.m.: Headed out the door to Dallas. Can't find keys. Must hit Jason up for ride to airport, derailing his day. Keys turn up in Pie's car, thankfully. 6:25 p.m.: After less than perfect marathon of client meetings, best part of entire day is cheap wine on Southwest flight 168.

Friday: kind of normal day.

Just in case you were wondering.

Lu in SF

Did You Know...

...that Duck's parents were killed by giant squirrels? And that's why he lives with us. He loves us now, but at first he was really sad.

W(h)ine

Sometimes, when you take four children (none of whom has had a nap) to a winery, you have only a semi-relaxing time. And so do all the people around you (you know, the people who opted to leave their kids at home).


This is a picture of Tully, taken by his brother Tadhg (no, that's not a typo, it's Gaelic).

Observations from San Francisco

1. I am always surprised by the cold here. I see people in scarves in April and scoff...then suffer.
2. Everyone loves to discuss the weather. People are so proud of their testy little microclimates.
3. The Cow Hollow Playground is nowhere near Sausalito, but a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge is always a welcome detour.
4. Alex Glotzbach is the first child I've ever met who is louder than Lucy. She is my new favorite person.
5. "The other side of town" = 3 miles away.
6. Kangaroos are really boring unless they're jumping.
7. Being a full-time parent makes my actual job seem easier.

Check Up

The vital stats:

Lu weighs 36.5 pounds.

She is 40-some-odd inches tall (Jason has a hard time remembering numbers and gossip). Well on her way to being 5'6" — which is pretty dang tall considering her parents.

She can hear everything (it turns out she has just been ignoring us).

She has 20/30 and 20/40 vision.

She got three shots, and she was really brave. While they didn't cover any specific developmental milestones at the check-up, I feel sure that whatever deals she is able to maneuver as a result of "being brave" will be proof of her mental fitness.