Whoda thunk...

that dolphins are kufr?

Random questions--any help?

I'm unleashing the Power of the Blog, such as it is with my two dozen regular readers.

1. Does a Kindle get out-of-print books? Big sellers only? How obscure can the books be? See, I know and love a book junkie and a Kindle would really help with the the space issues. However, if it's only popular books or bestsellers, that helps very little. He's into relatively obscure Byzantine texts, out-of-print Catholic stuff, small publishers, etc. And once you have it on Kindle, do you have it forever or will it eventually zap off if it goes out of print?
The other, possibly more practical option, is for me to get the Kindle and donate/sell my various books. I don't have quite the eclectic taste my husband does.

2. I have a pair of boys' Bob the Builder overalls in a size 4T. Dale loved them and I'm planning on keeping them for Lou. However, we don't have the matching shirt I'm sure exists (I saw it on someone else's son). Does anyone know of, has anyone seen somewhere, a long sleeved Bob the Builder plaid shirt? How much will you want to part with it? And if you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry. And yes, I've trid eBay and the closest I've found is a short sleeve one in 3T.

That is all for now. Thanks, folks!

Metro, boulot, dodo....

No, I haven't given up blogging for Lent; it just seems like it.

I've got a kind of Dr. Seuss-ish poem in my head somewhere, rhyming "mathematics" and "phonics," "obstetrician" with "pediatrician," and "orthodontist" with "dentist." Throw in grammar, reading, science, spelling, playdates, dance class, first Friday Mass, dishes, laundry, floors, keeping Louie alive and clean, and brushing my teeth and I'm shot.

Oh, and now that spring has made arrangements to arrive we'll be starting a garden. Kind of a relief that there are only two more episodes of ER (my only reason to stay up past 10PM). Yes, there's me, the production crew, and the mothers of most of the cast still watching.

We finally have up a Baby Ticker, and Daddy has one too. That'll make it easier for someone to keep track since this is kind of new for him. Given the loss before Louie, my doc wants me to come in for an ultrasound this Wednesday morning to be sure we have a heartbeat and all. I'm not worried but there are some changes this time around. I've already gained a few pounds and some of my clothes aren't fitting; that's never happened before in the first trimester. If I find time and there's anything exciting, I'll try to post Wednesday.

On current events: I'm waiting to see a Ron Burgundy-style joke about Obama and his teleprompter. Let me know in the comments.

That is all. Now I get to take my cooling rack back from Louie, get the other three doing school, wash yesterday's dishes, have some breakfast, throw in a load of laundry... This is the life I signed up for. And honestly, I love it.

A wedding picture--with flowers!

Why am I posting this? Because I can.

Okay, really it's because there's someone planning a wedding and I'm offering (unsolicited but politely heard) advice. She asked what kind of flowers we got for our budget ($300), and this is a relevant shot.

That's Diane, by the way.

A bit of advice.

Never, never, never, NEVER subscribe to a magazine with your real name. If you don't know this already, they profile it and sell it. To anyone you might share an interest.

Now, frankly, I don't mind so much that the Register has sold our name. I just drop those solicitations for every Catholic charity with a postage meter in the trash can by the front door, situated expressly for that purpose.
And my Parenting mag has sold my pseudonym to the March of Dimes and St. Jude's. I like the address labels, so it's... okay, I guess.

The problem comes when one has a change of heart. See, once upon a time, I subscribed to Ms. magazine. (Really.) It was back in my heady single-woman days, when they were completely subscription-supported and advertisement-free. I liked the international aspect of the articles, the support for abused women (not abusing, be nice). This was where I first read of honor killings and acid burns or dowry deaths. Yeah, more than 10 years ago.
Anyway, they went out of print for a while, then started selling ads to come back. I couldn't take it. The pages were filled with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, etc. ads and it made me sick. I really wondered if one had to be pro-abortion to be pro-woman and it didn't seem so. I've since found these folks and that helps.

So I just let my subscription run out. It's been a few years now and the brochures for environmentally-aware telephone service and suchlike have dwindled.

Until tonight, when PP called me by name on the phone and wanted to share John McCain's "real record about women's health."
I was polite. I didn't even interrupt the caller. I just informed her, "You're barking up the wrong tree, and have a good night."

[This isn't the first time I've gotten such a call. A few years ago, I got one about whether prescription coverage should be required to mean BCPs since it covers that magic little blue pill et al. I imagine her head is still spinning from my reply: "Well, women choose to need artificial contraception, men don't choose to need Viagra. But yeah, since the Pill is used for more than just that..."]

What we're interested in this weekend

We have an interesting (and timely!) article over at Catholic Exchange.

Of interest to The Boy 1.0, and I'll admit I'm not feeling too bad for NASA right now. It means I caught it instead of hearing about it later!

Madeleine is showing a budding interest in Our Lady of Guadalupe. I read from Amy Welborn's book on the saints about Blessed Juan Diego this afternoon. There I learned his day is tomorrow. Coincidence? Hmm....

All I can pry out of Rachel for Santa to bring her is a pink cake. I told her I could make it for her and have now shown her the components. At least she's not greedy.

Last bit of trivia: my kids are more familiar with The Muppet Show and its cast than Sesame Street. They know Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, and Swedish Chef better than Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, and Zoe.

Heh. Aren't you glad I'm just warping my own children anymore?

Random thoughts

1. Can one still receive Communion if bringing your children to Mass results in a near occasion of sin?

2. Is there anything funnier than a three-year-old girl stomping around to the Imperial March, also known as Darth Vader's Theme?

3. If your children fill up on bananas and apples 45 minutes before lunch when you've told them the could have candy for dessert, is that such a bad thing?

Light posting, I know.

We've been trying to start school, the holiday weekend, the last reunion this one, beautiful weather calling us outside... You know the story.
Which doesn't mean I haven't been mulling posts to get your opinion. Here are some questions that have been entertaining me while I wash dishes and wetjet the kitchen.

1. Do I feel like I'm starting over with this motherhood thing because Louis will be back at square one while the others are all fairly self-sufficient? They can all use the toilet and dress themselves on their own (or almost). They can all walk, feed themselves, and sleep through the night.
It's not like I'm turning them back in, though. I get to keep them. Even if I did have to turn them in, I'm a lot wiser than I was six years ago in this motherhood thing. I feel like I'm just continuing down the same path instead of starting over.
I know it will be tough, though. I think that's one of the contributing factors to the prevalence of only two children. "I forgot how hard this is! Trying to take care of a newborn/infant and preschooler! Eek! I can't do this again a third time!" Where if you have them closer together, you're less likely to think of yourself as "done" with any particular phase.

2. Kathy Schaidle had a post or two on the "new catholicism" and, in a word, fashion. It resonated. I can say I have in recent months started to dress more "modestly" with more and longer skirts. I've never really been a follower of the trendy, though. (Those who have known me for years--stop laughing at the understatement.) Is it possible to dress modestly and fashionably? I think so but it's not always easy.
Then summer hit and I'm pregnant. We don't have it in the budget to start over with maternity clothes (which it would be, with getting rid of the shorts, etc). And have you tried looking for modest, fashionable, inexpensive, maternity clothes for summer? Heh. I think it's tougher than trying to find maternity clothes with nursing access. Can you say 'niche market,' Gentle Reader?

3. I haven't put it in the sidebar, but I'm reading Tom Stanton's Ty and the Babe. My father believed Ty Cobb was the greatest player ever, though being born in 1935 he never actually saw him play. He did hate the Yankees, wanting them to finish in last place for 30 years and then go on a losing streak. He raised us with the same ethos.
I'm getting some insight into my dad's belief and can feel him reading over my shoulder. See? That's what makes a good ball player. He wasn't the complete @$$hole he's portrayed as now. I see the fierce competitor, but not the villain.
I'm wondering about Babe Ruth, too. Was he good for baseball? In the short term, he brought in the crowds which meant money. But he changed the game and created the demand which is entirely possible to have brought us the steroid controversy we get to deal with today.

There you go. Children, fashion, sports. Enough variety for all!

When do you tell your spouse?

We live in the town where I grew up. Different neighborhood, but the same actual city. We attend the same parish where I was baptized. I even grocery shop where my mother does, most of the time. Hey, I come from a long line of creatures of habit.
That being the case, it's always a possibility that I may run into someone I used to date. When you consider the kids' activities too, it becomes more likely.
So I ask you, Gentle Reader. When do you tell your spouse you ran into an ex? If it's your date for the Eighth Grade Graduation Dance that you talked to three times in high school after that, and you saw the person pulling into a gas station as you were pulling out, it seems relatively minor. It would involve more explaining than seems worthwhile, almost. On the other hand, if it was a years-long relationship and your kids are in swim class together, it seems to bear mention.
But then there are gray areas--you saw him or her grocery shopping or at the park. Just a weird fluke of timing where it may never happen again. Or you happen to stumble on to their blog and it may be interesting. Or you realize they've stumbled onto yours...
If you tell, when? And when does it cease to be harmless omission and become deception?

Discuss. Or mull it over the weekend. That's why I'm posting this on a Friday. And please, remember to be nice.

So, what's with this big "announcement" thingy?

People are getting curious.

Or is it just me?

Just some questions.

1. What makes milk white? I know the reflecting light stuff; what is it in milk that is reflecting the light?

2. How many pairs of socks do kids need? The Boy has 19, Rachel 38, and Madeleine a whopping 40. They each wear the same 5-6 pairs, generally. And I launder their stuff twice or thrice a week so it's not like they're ever low on socks.

3. How many crib size sheets do I need now that only one is using that size? We're down from three. Mind you, we're not saying we're done, but storage space is becoming premium.

And I'm adjusting to the lack of toddler beds. We've had one (or more) in that room for four years. I remember taking pictures of both Madeleine and Dale in the crib when it still dwarfed them; I don't know that I did it for Rachel. But now twin size beds do it again. For a little while.

That's all for now. It's been that idea, "If you don't have anything to say, don't say it." But any helpful answers to the above questions would be just great.

Vignettes

The info:
I got a load and a half of laundry done. Tomorrow's chores will include drafting the kids to put their own clothes away. It's a lot harder than it sounds, trust me.

I did a load and a half of dishes, more to follow now that dinner is done. An empty sink is a beautiful thing.

We did almost all of the school I planned. What didn't get done is a bit of science, two pages on seasons (fall and winter). We live in Michigan; Rachel at two can tell you about seasons. Madeleine could write the four sentences of text.

We had a brief moment of contention. Dale is now four and he's agreed to start some school on a regular basis. It seems Madeleine wasn't expecting another student and thus was quite distracting while Dale and I worked a bit with the letter B. She couldn't focus on math and we had to have a student-teacher conference afterward about sharing Mama's attention.

We finally finished Dale's birthday cake. It was only 8x8 but since my kids are weird and chose grapes for dessert yesterday, we finally finished it off today.

I had a chance to vacuum the living room rug, after which the kids ran in circles for about five minutes on it.

I cleaned off Rachel's chair with some Murphy's oil soap knockoff and her booster seat with disinfectant wipes. She didn't notice but I certainly could tell the difference.

Now for some questions:
Jean's husband--have you made the tandoori chicken yet?

Zach--did you know we would homeschool when we first met in 2001, or did you figure it out later when I started blogging about it?

Daisy--have you started looking at curricula yet? There's a TON out there and choosing is part of the fun!

Diane--have you gotten all of those tests graded yet?

Okay. That about does it.