Strangely, said arguments rarely bring the men who are being called for reserve duty at least 6 weeks of the year (while most women don't give birth every year).

Here, the disability/sick leave debate is separate from the maternity leave debate. Maternity leave is generous, though. And I got a lot of leeway, when I was working, for disability-related stuff (mental health problems were included in that). I really don't think it's good enough when employers can't be bothered to realise that you keep a good employee by not creating the kind of environment that ultimately creates more illness.

A rainy-day arts and crafts book for kids, and a cache of art supplies in a storage container -- moldable non-toxic clay, pipe cleaners, finger paints, large sheets of paper, preprinted masks, etc.

Or cool books. Ask any librarian or Children's Dept. bookseller for recs for that age group -- they'll have more specific knowledge than I.

My thumb is swollen, warm and seeping.

Make sure you keep an eye on that. Cat bites can result in nasty infections, and it sounds like you might be headed that way.

{{Erin}}

While we're on the topic of kids, Dylan cracked me up with a kidism yesterday. We were rehashing the plan of how getting home was going to work ("We're going to cross the street, go inside, check the mail, go upstairs, etc etc") and after he more or less told the whole plan back to me in order I said "Exactamundo!"

To which he repeated, "Exactly...a window!"

Yep, I read up on it. I thinky I will be packing with multiple band-aids and a latex glove on my right hand.

MJ has nothing on my mad packin' style, bitches!

You need to contest that firing with the unemployment folks, Erin, so you can get benefits.

Wait, they fired you AND they're denying you unemployment?!?

Gack, Kristin! Isn't there anything they can do to waive the four-month constraint, given that this is entirely THEIR FAULT?

It just happened yesterday -- I haven't filed yet, so I dunno, Tep.

I would imagine that they will, though. I'm gonna file, anyway, and see.

Oh Erin, I'm so sorry.

Gack, Kristin! Isn't there anything they can do to waive the four-month constraint, given that this is entirely THEIR FAULT?

Yeah, that's what I asked in the email I just sent. I'm trying not to freak out.

It just happened yesterday -- I haven't filed yet, so I dunno, Tep.

Okay, I totally misunderstood someone's post, then.

I would imagine that they will, though. I'm gonna file, anyway, and see.

I always thought -- although it might not be true -- that if you're fired for performance, you can't be denied unemployment; it's if you're fired for stuff like theft that you can be denied unemployment.

But I could be full of shit.