Somewhere in the family attic there's a home movie of my brother and me taking a bath together. At a guess, I was about 3 or 4, which would have made my brother about 2. It embarrasses me enough to know that movie -- which will probably never be shown outside the family -- exists. National TV? Eek!

On the other hand, my mother started a hobby of writing children's books. And I was embarrassed that she based her stories on things that happened to my brother, me, or both while growing up. And I was past 20 by then. So, knowing my parents were paid to talk about what it was like to raise us? Eek. That way lies the Dionne Quintuplets' story.

Erin, I'm so sorry about the suckitude of your soon-to-be former employers.

Anybody else here have super-fine hair?

Yo - super-fine and wavy. Well, I do when I'm a) not dyeing it and b) not productizing the shit out of it and c) washing it more than once a week (I'll throw conditioner on more often, though). Since my mom is not skilled with hairstyling, I had short hair when I was 8. Much easier all around.

Yep. Not quite that bad, but my hair knots if you look at it funny.

I'm home sick, and I haven't brushed my hair yet today. I just felt the back of my head, and I think I may have proto-dreds going on. I have seriously fucked-up hair.

Yo - super-fine and wavy.

Heh. I forgot to mention that. The curls make the super-fine-ness even MORE fun. As does the fact that my hair is so thick that a family of field mice could camp out it in undetected for DAYS.

My hair is super fine, too. I have to use conditioner or it tangles so badly that it's unmanageable.

I have to use conditioner or it tangles so badly that it's unmanageable.

No More Tears shampoo? LYING LIARS.

Some people couldn't remember ever seeing their parents naked.

I’ve never seen my dad naked (thank god), but I did see my mom naked when I was little. And I suppose when she was changing or whatever.

so, when I get a cert letter that says I am hearby directed not to discuss this matter with students, faculty or staff, is this something they can legally order me to do? I do not recall signing any kind of confidentality agreement.

While I don’t think that they could order you to do that, doing so could jeapordize any severance or chance of being rehired. That said, if you’ve already discussed it with people, the horse has left the barn.

We are definitely a naked-in-front-of-the-kids household. Dillo and mr. flea had an adorable conversation the other morning that went pretty much:
Dillo: Penis!
mr. flea: Yes, that's my penis.
Dillo: Penis!
etc. for many more rounds.

I was raised that way too, pretty much, though I haven't seen my father naked since I was 12 and fell down the stairs in a very violent fashion and he jumped out of the shower to see who had been killed. My mother still goes topless at the nude beach, too. But when you are 35 and have lived on your own for 12 years, your opportunities for parental nudity are slim.

Seems odd to me, but she keeps coming back each week, and folds the clothes while the kids play around her, so whatever

aww that's so nice. She probably just wanted to find a concrete way to help out and this is how it worked.

I can't really watch that show because the parents bickering gets on my last nerves. I get that it's normal and necessary and everything but it's just annoying to me.

My hair's curly, and pretty much curls itself into knots. At least with straight hair, the un-knotted state is with all the strands parallel, so if it isn't badly tangled, you can just bring a brush straight down. Can't brush curly hair at all when it's dry, only when it's wet, unless you want the brushing to cause tangles. (There are, I think, two basic rules for combing out kids' hair: hold onto the hair above the tangle, so that it pulls against your hand rather than the kid's scalp, and start working at the bottom of the knot and work your way up. From what I've seen from shows on TV and from watching various parents comb their kids' hair, many people seem to not get this.)