I do have friends who care, I just need to reach out to them - not something I do well.

Friends do like to help, but don't know what to do. I'm little miss delegate. Don't hesitate to give people a task to handle for you.

Connie - I have two people at work who just take time off regardless od what is happening here cause they are stressed - and yet, I'm here rain or shine. Blarg.

Thanks AmyLiz.

Happy Birthday Ginger!!!!!

Back to the late onset of language thing, I have known children that were late to talk but then popped out the full sentences. It was like they suddenly just decided that the time was right. It's quite surprising. Bobby was very late to speak and no one was worried since he was a second child and his brother spoke for him. Ends up he couldn't hear properly. He had speech therapy for years through the public school system. He now hears and speaks without any problems. They released him from the program at school several years ago.

Being an ancient mom, and being a non-worrier by nature I usually don't worry about the kids. The couple times I did get concerned it ended up that I was supposed to be concerned. Brendon got a staff infection when he was only a few weeks old. He had a blistery diaper rash and it just seemed wrong to me. He was in the hospital for a few days with an IV in his scalp. Yikes. Then when Bobby was a year or so old he suddenly was covered with bruises. Tiny finger tip bruises from changing his diapers, bruises on his arms where I picked him up. Totally freaked me out. He had to go to the hospital to get his blood drawn because he was too little for his doctor to do it. It was some freak virus that caused the bruises, but his body was already kicking in the fix by the time they tested the blood. No treatment, we just had to have a child that look battered for a week or so.

Bottom line, I don't think we are likely to change our nature when we become parents. We either have a nature to worry, or we don't. My GF is a major worrier. We puzzle each other. Just the way it is. Both of our children accept our natures.

One of the most famous cases of late speech was Thomas Babbington Macaulay, the historian.

Language could not have begun in the form it was said to have taken in the first recorded utterance of Thomas Babbington Macaulay (the infant Lord Macaulay): [who was three years old when he began talking] once when he was taken out, his hostess accidently spilled hot tea on him. The little lad first bawled his head off, but when he had calmed he said in answer to his hostess' concern, "Thank you Madam, the agony is sensibly abated."

Basically, he waited until he could talk like a proper Georgian adult.

"Thank you Madam, the agony is sensibly abated."

I would love to see that live, minus the part with scalding heat.

I have to be careful about my gut(not my GI tract but that place inside you get that message from? Right? )Cause mostly it's not wrong, but it makes up very scary stories sometimes. Like once I was absolutely convinced that my friend was the cyclist smashed by the truck on the news. Right neighborhood and he had been a sloppy correspondent. I was freaked, you know? And then he e-mailed me back and I felt dumb saying "So glad you're not roadkill, sweetie," so I doubt if he still knows that the question I sent him was a plant. Last week I thought I kvetched a member of H:LOTS fandom into suicide. One of the few times in my life I've ever found being unimportant to somebody a comforting thought. Still a little worried about him, though. The boy ain't right and he's stopped blogging. I couldn't really hoch somebody I hardly know so hard they want to die could I?(Considers Senators...brightens slightly)

t offers $1,000,000 to anyone who wants to go to Michigan for me

Michigan sounds pretty good to me right now.

offers $1,000,000 to anyone who wants to go to Michigan for me

Hmmmm--which part? Traverse City's pretty, and I wouldn't mind seeing if anyone I know still lives in Alpena.

Detroit, nsm.

Anywhere but here sounds good. I'll go.