It's been an exhausting morning already. I went in to Em's school this morning and it went well with her teacher and principal. Em took the bus in and I went in to talk by myself. Talked about having her evaluated by the school psychologist, but Mrs P doesn't think that's neccessary. Today she has to sit in private dining and then will try to be put in with the general population next week again and Em and Mrs P are going to work on a weekly progress/behavior report that Em brings home every Friday so we can address things at home as needed and have consequences/rewards at home so she learns that school and home aren't seperate, but intertwined.

Mrs P seemed kind of ... I don't know, kind of surprised for lack of a better word that I came in to talk about it. "Thank you so much for coming in this morning - I really appreciate it." To which I think, "Of course I did! My kid assaulted another one!" but I guess that doesn't always happen?

Anyway, Mrs P was very reassuring that she's just learning her way and reminded me that she is the youngest in the class - Em's still only 4 - and that academically and schoolroom-wise, she's very bright and even a bit advanced. I was also given homework to read the Junie B. Jones series because apparantly, Emeline is she. Which, only makes sense I guess since my mother was convinced that I was Ramona Quimby in the flesh.

I want to smish your baby.

I spend all day wanting to smish her, so I understand completely.

If anyone is interested in seeing the pictures we had taken by the photographer, I am happy to send you an invitation and the event key if you send your email address to my profile addy.

I am in no way insulted if no one wants to see 80+ pictures of us.

I want to see!!

Insent, Aims. Let me know if it doesn't work. It seems to be working for some members of my family and not for others.

Sparky, your baby is adorable!

smonster, I hope you feel better. Getting AD levels right is a tricky business.

I'm ded from the baby smile.

I don't really want to be *that* neighbor, but the people behind me who built the eight-foot fence while leaving a large amount of trash, old logs and weeds in the space between their fence and mine are now building a very large outbuilding of some sort to further loom over my property. More to the point, it's maybe five feet from the lot line, and code says 10. Should I let the county know?

Ginger - totally let the county know.

I don't really want to be *that* neighbor,

I think those people are being those neighbors, not you. Definitely call the county.

(((Norah)))

Hil, your adviser sounds about as useful as a chocolate fireplace, and evil to boot. I wish I had a useful suggestion - lacking any, I'm just vibing you unspecified getting-around-the-talentless-fuckwad-ma.

Sparky - BLESS!

Matilda continues to slay me, although it does sound like she needs to back off Mommy, with the Diva-like stompfests. And, JZ, I loved the link to Kate Crackernuts and the other fairytales. I am now diverted from my existing children's book plans, and thinking that I might need to have a crack at using one of those stories (I reread The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh whilst I was at it, and it's rather splendid too).

I was often disgruntled with Disney versions of fairy tales (except Beauty and the Beast, because Belle is a hot bookworm and her father is awesome, which almost made up for the mysterious disappearance of the two sisters; I liked 'The Little Mermaid' for the music, but was pole-axed by the crappy ending), although very pro-fairy tales. My grandfather gave me two huge hardback books crammed with European fairytales when I was tiny, and I devoured them, and was most disdainful of bowdlerised versions.

I don't remember wanting to be a princess, although it's entirely possible. I do remember being a total sucker for any dykey/crossdressing swashbuckling stories, though, from George in the Famous Five (she had her own island! And was invariably mistaken for a boy! And didn't have any truck with the notion of doing girly things like cooking and shrieking and being dainty and helpless!) on through Margaret Lockwood's highwayman role in The Wicked Lady, through Eowyn and a vast succession of sword'n'sorcery heroines.

...actually, I'm pretty sure I wanted to be a Highwayman. (Possibly just DO a Highwayman. James Mason has a lot to answer for.)

Further to yesterday's Penguin Anecdote, I have questioned my friend at length, and if she's lying about this then she's got Dexter-level cunning, and her entire personality is a complete fabrication. She cheerfully expanded on the details she'd given me before, down to the kid's name, the impact that the discovery of the baby penguin had on the rest of the kids on the bus (pure pandemonium) and the way that neither she nor her colleague were prepared to touch the damn thing themselves, but made the kid keep hold of it right up to handing it back to the zoo's staff. And a bunch of other details that she ruefully supplied. So, yeah - I'm going with Dudley Zoo being crap, because otherwise I'm going to need to start adopting Trueman Show- level paranoia.

I am happy to learn that the Penguin Tale is trufax.

Dear committe members,
When I assign you a task, please don't come back to me with questions that effectively make the task *my* responsibility.

Thx,
Moi