Tea:

{{{Aims}}} You're a good mom. Please don't doubt that.

{{{Seska and The Girl}}} I'm sorry this trip is so stressful for the both of you.

I never smacked either of my parents, but I told my mom to fuck off once when I was 18, and was promptly thrown out of the house.

You're a good mom. Em knows she fucked up big time, and I doubt she'll ever do it again.

I'm so excited for Pix and Drew! YAYYYYAAAAYYYAAY!!!

How many Buffistas marriages will this be? Pix/Drew, JZ/Hec, Nora/Tom...Andi/Daniel also got together because of Buffistas.

I wonder, has anyone ever attempted a count of marriages brought about by the internet? Not by particular sites, but just in general? It would be a fascinating website. Hmm.

I never smacked either of my parents, but I told my mom to fuck off once when I was 18, and was promptly thrown out of the house.

I remember watching my 16-y.o. sister and my mom get into one of their usual yelling-at-the-top-of-their-lungs arguments. My sister was really pissed off, and after a big pause in mid-yell, blurted out, "I'll tell Dad!" Mom's response was "Fine with me!" The argument petered out soon afterwards.

Now, our parents had been divorced for over two years by this time, and none of us kids would ever involve Dad in an argument between us and Mom, so I went up to my sister and asked her what the hell that comment was about. She said, "It was either that or 'Fuck you!', and I figured that the Dad comment would be less likely to get me smacked across the face." Good call on her part. I reminded her and Mom about that argument a few years ago, and neither of them remembered it at all (it was just another one of their arguments at the time), but Mom agreed that a "Fuck you!" would have earned her a slap.

Sis is now having teen issues with her stepdaughter, and Mom is just laughing hysterically over her headbutting with a girl as strongwilled and stubborn as Sis was (and still is).

Ho'omaika'i

hoh oh maikah ee

The glottal stops don't translate well, but that's an approximation. No real emphasis on any of the syllables.

(It's actually Ho'omaika'i 'Ana, I think.)

And Ho'omaika'i 'Ana to Drew and Kristin!

And in polar-oppositeland, Matilda and I executed a perfect childcare delivery fail this morning. She was chatty and happy right up until we got to the hospital, whereupon we had two big meltdowns before we reached the second floor. She cheered up minimally at the sight of her preschool, but then when it became clear that I wasn't going to spend all day like Daddy had, but was actually going to just leave her there, she collapsed brokenly and clutched at me, weeping, "Please don't leave me, Mommy! I don't want you to go! Please stay with me!" When hugs, distractions, redirecting, and every other trick in the book failed, one of the staff finally (firmly but very gently) peeled her off me and I fled (by now 40 minutes late). Matilda instantly turned purple and raged out, and the whole way out of the building I could hear her roaring, "MOMMY. MOMMY. MOMMY." in her demon voice.

Hours later, I still want to run back and hug her to bits, except that I know it'll just make everything suck more, for even longer.

is maikah like 'mica'? I was thinking it was 'ma i kah'

I can't even imagine how hard that was, and continues to be, JZ. Ugh. The good news is that she's probably happily playing right now and tomorrow will (fingers crossed) be much easier.

::hairpats JZ::

{{{{{JZ}}}}} I can't imagine how difficult that must be. I'm so sorry.

{{{JZ}}} One of the crappier moments in a parent's life, for damn sure. Hopefully, it will be done with a couple of days once she realizes how much FUN FUN FUN it is at preschool.

Ugh JZ, many hugs to you. BTDT many times. I know it leaves you broken for the rest of the day.