You're not the only Buffista to whom I owe a thoughtful response to some very wise and kind words. If I get enough shit cleared away from my desk over the next day or two, I'll buckle down and do it.

Silly girl -- you don't *owe* me a response! Not at all. I just wanted to be sure that I hadn't spouted off nonsensical, pompous, unwelcome, unhelpful crap.

Is the kid doing okay now?

He was not thrilled with the cutting, but putting on a macho face. His mother said they will have to watch closely because they can't know for sure if they got it all. Eeeeek. I'm suddenly pleased that the boys aren't into surfing. They get enough sun just walking around.

Aimee, what Betsy said about daycare/school and sickness. Chris had a lot of sick times when Ben went to school, when Julia went to school, and then when he started pre-school. It will level off soon. On the plus side? He had perfect attendance for the first half of the year. We just got his report card on Friday.

[note to self: write up report card in LJ so you don't forget, you bad mother, you]

And Aimee, what Trudy said about calling the Ladies Aid at the church. If we got that call at our church, we'd make sure to dig it out for you, or even hunt it down if someone in the church had already bought it. You want to get it back before they sell it at church fair, or tag sale, or whatever, because then you'll have no idea where it went.

Silly girl -- you don't *owe* me a response!

Well, but I kind of feel like I *do*. Because this is all shit that I'm stewing over and agonizing about, and the experiences and perspectives of peeps I love and respect who've lived the stepfamily life in the kid's shoes are hugely valuable to me. Really. A couple of y'all have written things that I go back to again and again, and it took thought and effort for you to revisit your histories and find the words to speak them in. So, mwah, and probably a maundering, rambly email at a later date.

that is odd -- I looked at the stony field page - and the light has more carbs than the fat free.... for black cherry.

JZ - I'm not sure if Special Effects is responsible corporate-wise, but I do know it treated my hair wonderfully. Here's a page with swatches on actual humans. Only problem is that it is a semi-perm and therefore will come off on your pillow. Hence, I have black bedsheets. But it's lovely, it stays for two-three weeks, and it's nice to my hair.

Plei, nope. Have as yet tried none of the others.

IIRC, they work a little better than the one that stopped working on you, but I only used the one that stopped working on you when I was in my second tri, before saying "screw it" and going back to uncrunchy.

Raq, how much is it to ship small packages to you? I can keep an eye out at my consignment haunts for 12-18 month Robeez, if you'd like. I can usually find them in good shape for under $10.

Ooh, juliana, thanks. The woman on the right in this link for the Blood Red is closest to the color I long for. Happily, I work in a place that doesn't care a bit what color my hair is so long as it's clean and reasonably groomed.

I lurve Special Effects. (But second the caveat that you'd do well to invest in some dark colored sheets if you use it. And don't wear a white turtleneck the day after dyeing.)