CAT!

Of course, he likes to lie down in the messiest spots in the house. We haven't named him yet. Ideas?

Still Obsessed

With un-coloring (is there a term for it? changing pictures taken in color to black and white).

I love how it changes where the focus of the photo is. And noticing strange things like the fact that your eyes do battle with your brain when deciding where to focus in this photo:


And that it is easier to resolve (but the problem is still there) in black and white:


Anyway, I am very much not an artistic type, and have no idea what on earth I'm talking about, so this little bitty obsession (taking place entirely with already-taken photos, so I'm pretty sure it isn't about *photography* in particular...will have to think about that) is a little surprising. A few more recent conversions:

I've been threatened

Threatened. Because I haven't updated my blog. Petty, people. Petty.

To oblige:

Boyness has another loose tooth, about to come out.

Girliness went to Oregon with MIL and had an absolute spoiled-rotten BLAST.

Toddlerness has been challenging as usual.

I had my last day of GYN clinic yesterday. I have all my observe numbers, and I've seen interesting stuff and learned quite a bit, but I am very anxious to start doing hands-on things. This has been a good, but somewhat boring because of my very limited role, placement. It is interesting but it is not what I want to do, which is probably the biggest reason I was ready to be done with it. I am glad to be leaving the rotation with a fairly decent grasp on the wide array of birth control that is currently on the market and how one decides/counsels between the various methods. And I did get to see some quite interesting pregnancy/miscarriage visits, only one of which would have been possible within the normal scope of midwifery care.

I am enrolling Boyness and Girliness in CVA, a public-school-enrollment program where you get to pick your curriculum and they pay for it. In exchange, you write up your child's learning goals for the year and keep a "teacher" updated about whether they're making progress or not. And now I'm curriculum shopping. Calvert, maybe? Saxon math? Lots of options out there. I am dizzied by it all, and particularly by the fact that I have to find something that is accomplish-able while doing my school and without neglecting Toddlerness. Not that she'd let me get away with neglecting her. Just...if she felt neglected she'd make our lives hell.

We're starting up a membership at the Y. This is mostly about *me,* actually. I want exercise and I want someone to watch my kids while I'm doing it, without taking away from family time (ie Fran at home time). But the kids aren't exactly going to suffer. The play-room at the Y isn't your average converted closet...it's got a multi-level obstacle course, play mats, slides, all kinds of books and art stuff...it looks awesome and the kids are really stoked about getting to play there on a regular basis.

Speaking of the kids (again) they've been bickering and fighting relentlessly. It is driving me BEYOND bonkers. I had to put the nix on a berry-picking trip with the cousins today because they we so busy bickering this morning that they made *everyone* miserable. Anyone know where I can get kid-sized remote-controlled shock collars? Please?