How are your boys doing, Laura, after your frustrating summer?

Emmett managed to bring home his worst report card ever. This is after topping out on the STAR (statewide) testing.

Matilda is having new problems at school as the Queen Bee girl (Maya) is purposefully excluding Matilda from activities with one clique of girls. (Gotta talk to Teacher Helen about that.)

Time to introduce Emmett to the idea of "resting on one's laurels."

And Miss Princess does indeed need a lesson on inclusion and sharing. Silly tot.

much sympathy and coping~ma to Dana, Daniel, and all families.

IOshallowN: i tried bar shampoo for the first time this morning. Almost dry now (takes forever in this rainy weather) and i'm astonished at how clean it looks, considering the first 2 ingredients are olive oil and jojoba oil and there's zero detergents. it did leave my hair feeling really....waxy? and was awkward to wash out. That might take some getting used to. And while i'm (so far) enjoying the texture and dry hair feel of my newer hair, the bottom 4 ends look REALLY different now, like way more different than usual. Not shocking, since that's the hair i had when it was short and i was using product...but it's a really clean delineation in color (a full shade lighter/more brassy) and texture (straight vs noticeably wavy above the line.)

And of course i'm noticing this at work, in chatting distance only of 2 guys with very short hair, and who both looked at me with blank deer in headlight stares when i started nattering on about a new hair care product.

erin, what brand did you try. Did you know that Lush has some bar shampoos?

Uggh. Sort of first-world whine. The BnB I was trying to book with strung me along for days, and now only has a room with twin beds. Uh, no thanks. Best I can find is a studio for $99/nt with full kitchen, tax included, in the Marigny. I should jump on that, right? Even without confirmation from B that he can swing it? The other place was $75/nt, but not sure if tax was included.

Also, body, you seem to think you might want to get a cold... OH HELL NO, NOT THIS WEEK.

sj- tried JR Ligget as the local store carries it...and smells soap-ey but fairly nice

Dana, I am so sorry for your loss.

Jilli, you NEED to visit the Edward Gorey house. In fact, it should be a buffista fieldtrip.

I know I NEED to visit there, I just don't know how I'm going to manage it. So, you had fun?

Jilli, I'm trying to talk Jacqueline into making an Alice and Wonderland croquet set with painted hedgehog balls and flamingo mallets.

Doesn't this hedgehog croquet ball look cunning?

So sorry for your loss, Dana. Strength and peace to you and your family.