Congratulations, hayden!

Also, in the summer, the Seeds of Peace kids go on outings and you'll see them here and there- it's really neat to talk to them for a minute.

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Noumenon, I'm having a catastrophic context loss. Who was in school when you were posting a lot? And where do I come into this?

I suspect that some of the name changers got mixed up--maybe you and Lyra Jane, as you both changed to L names, and Lyra got married in the last couple of years?

Congrats to the Hayden family!

We registered today. Baby stores are scary. Husbands trying out the travel systems are adorable.

Gah. This kicking and squirming is getting less and less comfortable by the day. It feels like she's managed to start a conga line with herself in here.

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We registered today. Baby stores are scary. Husbands trying out the travel systems are adorable.

BabiesRUs? Did you stop halfway through and take a break in the glider rockers?

I remember it being much more overwhelming and bewildering than registering for our wedding because it's not like towels, sheets, flatware, and pots and pans were something we'd never experienced before--we just got new, somewhat better stuff that matched. But with BRU it's like you're in a foreign country at first.

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I took a break in the gliders near the end, but they're all the way in the back of the store, and therefore were not there when I needed them halfway through the carseats.

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We used the Baby Bargains book to help compare products. We got Graco carseats and have been pretty happy with them, though if we reproduce again, we're going to pick a carseat for "good if you think you'll have a tall baby" instead of "fits airplane seats well." Oh, and we love our Maclaren stroller. Which we never would've gotten if Dylan's mother hadn't been determined to buy us something fancy, but it's great--the easy portability of an umbrella stroller (because that's what it is, only souped up), but as sturdy as anything on the market. That said, I could've used a travel system in the early months before she outgrew the bucket seat.

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JCPenney is using a cover of "99 Red Balloons" in a Valentine's Day commercial.

STOOPID commercial! People, you know the 99 ballons go on to CAUSE WORLD WAR THREE, right? In the song you've used for your valentine's day commercial?

Coke uses my favourite Queen song, I Want To Break Free, in their C2 ads, but they (totally awkwardly, I swear) cut one line, but I never remember which one.

Mostly they only use the lines that consist entirely of "I want to break free," and cut out everything else. It sounds awkward to those of us who love the song, because after the first two "I want to break free"s, we want to hear Freddy Mercury go on to sing about how he wants to "break free from your lies, your so self-satisfied, I don't need you..."

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It's been a productive evening. I freshened up my haircolor, cleaned the tub, kitchen sink, bathroom sink, made the bed, and had yummy sesame chicken and rice takeout.

Tomorrow it's all about cleaning, writing, and enjoying the rain. Lovely.

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Hi Sean!

Sounds like a nice evening, Allyson. I need to do that kind of thing tomorrow, after the chiro and suit buying and stuff.

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Hi Lee.

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ABRAHAM, welcome to the world!!!

Hayden, best wishes to you and Mrs. Hayden. I hope everyone is well, and gets some rest! Congratulations.

Suddenly I want to name a daughter Cynthia Rose.

preens

I don't even like the name Cynthia.

weeps

But Cynthia Rose seems very pretty.

stacks cats

Part oh you make up an obscene number why I have cats: They both curled up with me for a nap earlier, and as I was just beating myself up for something, one just came up and patted my face. Who gives a shit if he just wants food or pets? Makes me feel good for something!

I'm adding this to my still-imaginary Why-Cats-and-Kids-Are-the-Same file, sarameg.

And this is something that occasionally frightens me--what if I don't make enough of a mark at freelancing, and/or never sell a novel, and have to go back to the land of university administration as I'm approaching middle age, only with several years lost, and I never can get back to something that's even tolerable WRT salary, responsibility, and prestige.

This scares me when I look at it, so I don't. There's no sense in me going back (at least to a regular-hours job) until Chris is at least in first grade, because everyone goes to school at a different time. The logistics are too difficult to contemplate. And, if possible, when Chris goes to first grade, I'm going back to school, myself.

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