Babies and monkeys go together like peas and carrots. Owen loves the Little Monkeys on the Bed song.

Flowers for Allyson! Yay!

I may have to get one of those Brew of Liberal Evil coffee mugs.

Awww, Allyson - your nephew is definitely a keeper!

Books are the bestest things for kids. It worked out well for me, since I was the only one of my brother's kids' relations who would get books for the kids for Christmas and b-days (everyone else stuck with toys and clothes). So, I was the one who got them "Tuesday" and "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs," and the one who was able to give my niece the boxed set of Little House books for her seventh birthday (which I had been waiting to do ever since she was born).

My mom bought him a new bookcase, because Auntie has gone a little nuts with the books. I also sent a bunch Kat gave me to send.

My mom says that it's a "someone is playing complete attention to me" thing. They're curled in your lap, and you're reading to the little one, and the world just sort of stops. There's all kinds of sensory input, voice, imagination, pages turning, colorful pictures.

I dunno what it is, but I know that since I'm so far away, being the fairybookauntie is the best I can do. Feeds his big huge bowling ball of a head with goodness.

Also? Books are easy to wrap and ship cross-country (another long distance aunt here!).

So I showed up for rehearsal today and discovered that I'm doing a show with John Malkovich. That was unexpected.

should be punished for using perfectly good air for evil

Maybe that's why they want to get rid of the perfectly good air (and water).

So I showed up for rehearsal today and discovered that I'm doing a show with John Malkovich.

Tell him I said 'Hi'.

When he asks who I am, just say, "Some weird guy. You've never met him."

Timelies, Beautifuls! Personally, I think if you know the kind of books the person would enjoy, books are the perfect present.

Unless it's a book completely outside their genre. Then it's the hell present, because you never finish the book, and you feel guilty because it was a gift from a much beloved family member. Every time you try t read it, it's so awful you flee, and the guilt cycle begins again, where the guilt forces you to try just one more time. Hoping it's not as bad as you thought. Then the book gets all, "Ha! I suck like Fangurl33098^^!!!!!!1!!" Than, you are left with remorse. And extra guilt at not finishing said gift book.

That's very cool, aurelia.