I just finished playing catch up on almost 24hrs worth of Natter and Bitches and nearly drowned in the wave of cuteness. The fact that I can't remember over half of my work week (today was my Friday) scares me. Two days off however, does not scare me.

From a while back:

I read an article (in Salon probably) by a western woman who'd spent time working in Saudi Arabia and one of the things that struck me about her adventures in staying covered up at all times was that the reactions of men who would "see" her (like, once she was -- fully covered -- waiting for a friend outside of a bank she wasn't allowed to go in to and the guard asked her to stand to the side instead of right out in front because it men were staring. and when she told her friend he was not sure why this upset her...) was that the men acted like they'd just hit puberty. They stared, they stammered, they got really freaked out whenever they had to deal with her.

When I was in Israel a few years ago, I went to Shabbat services at an Iraqi synagogue with an Iraqi Jewish Israeli girl who was on the trip. (They had a few Israelis come along on the trip so that we'd get to meet and discuss things with them, rather than just hanging out with other Americans.) After the services, we were waiting outside the synagogue for one of the guys from the trip who'd also come to services -- he was in the men's section, and had stayed inside for a few minutes to talk to someone there. I was getting tired of standing and sat down on a bench, and the girl I was with said that no, I shouldn't sit there, because that bench was where the men would see me right as they walked out of synagogue, and she found another bench for us to sit on that was out of the direct line of sight of the door to the men's section.

Here are two more. And here's Matilda with Daddy -- she doesn't even know what's coming next but she's already delighted with it.

Cute! And I love that dress!!

If so, you've got plenty of company. I'm remembering Stephanie's Ellie and the ladybug debacle, in particular.

We were just laughing at that picture last night - you feel bad and yet it's hard not to laugh. It's here in case anyone is curious.

Also, thanks for the shoe advice. I'm wearing tennis shoes today - hopefully it will help.

eta: And Matilda and Emmett are always so cute together!

The Elliebug picture is still adorable.

Do I try to grab an extra half-hour of sleep before class, or take the half hour to go get a bagel and some coffee?

God, I'm awake. Good thing I don't have projectile weapons with which to go on a rampage.

I don't have projectile weapons with which to go on a rampage.

marks post for Seekrit Santa, just in case

Pirate!Emmett with his MatildaPumpkin is the sweetest thing ever.

But Noah The Angry Peapod is a very close second.

And for empirical proof that pissed-off crying babies are hilarious, I give you, once again, Babies Eating Lemons.

I love babies when they fall over, look around to see if anyone's watching, then start crying. So funny.

Ded from cute. Send caffeine, or something.