Updates

It's interview season at work, which means that I have one family coming tonight and another coming next Tuesday. Their babies are due in October and would start in January. I don't know how I feel about caring for 2 same-age infants at the same time, but we'll see what happens! At the very least, I'm glad to have options.

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Petunia has a conference in San Diego in November and we've decided that Hester and I will go with her. YAY! My parents will fly out from Charlotte as well, and we're still waiting to hear whether my brother and his wife will go, too. I'm really excited about it: Sea World, San Diego Zoo, etc. I'm hoping to get a San Diego guide book from the library this evening. I can't wait to go!

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It seems like summer is racing by. I'm trying my best to enjoy it; I have a lighter load than usual and I love being able to take weekly field trips with the kids. We've had rainy, cool weather, too, which I certainly prefer to hot and humid nastiness. It's been great so far.

I'm proud of myself

I did it, y'all: I'm moving to a 4-day work week in January! Let the partying commence!

Contemplating death

Ever since our neighbor John died at the end of May, Hester's been talking about death. And I have to tell you, if I thought I was unprepared to answer questions about death from 3- and 4-year olds, I'm completely flummoxed by the same questions from my 2-year old daughter. Seriously, I thought I had some time before the mortality questions began.

Hester wants to know:

"What's 'died' mean?"
"Where Mr. John go?"
"Mr. John is dead now?"
"I gonna die, too?"
"We not see Mr. John again?"
"Where's Mr. John now?"

I try to remind myself that these aren't loaded questions to her, that she doesn't have an emotional association with death. She isn't sad that John died, just curious about why we don't see him anymore. As a result, I answer her questions as truthfully and plainly as I can.

It's hard, though. I worry that I'm screwing up. I'm afraid I give her too many details, or too few, or that I'm confusing her. I'm trying to do right by Hester, to be as forthright and reassuring as my favorite book on the topic. I sincerely hope I'm not falling short.

Strawberry fields

Found in the street

Funnily enough, this note was written on the back of a cigarette receipt. Even funnier? Our neighborhood's actually gotten better since the foreclosure crisis. There used to be dirty syringes littering the street; now there are drug notes. Ah, progress.

Out of the frying pan

I've done it, y'all: Today I began negotiations for a 4-day work week! We'll see what happens from here, but I'm crazy proud of myself for introducing the topic.

Bliss

Art, architecture, and ocean breezes. Seriously, Saturday mornings don't get any better than that.