I did most of the tax form filling out today and efiled the state taxes. If the world loses easy Internet connection, governments are going to have to spend a fortune to re-create all the paper-based functions from before. Of course, it will be the saving of the Post Office, but I don't think that's enough to balance.

At one point, the preschoolers won.

Congrats on surviving the party. Did K wind up having second thoughts about the booze?

So I had one of those plexing parental moments today. Franny was invited by a friend of her's (same grade but a year older) to watch an ahemmed copy of "The Hunger Games" tonight. But after talking about my concerns with another parent whose daughter was also invited, I told her no. Not because I think it's so terrible for an 8 or 9 year old to see a violent movie, but because I know how even mild suspense, not to mention violence, really upsets Franny, and that she'd be at someone else's house, unable to turn off the tv, and feeling pressured to watch. It seemed like a recipe for fears and tears. So I said no and I told Franny my reasons, and when she didn't get mad at me about it, I figured I made the right choice.

yeah, I still think 8 or 9 is too young for that movie.

Well I decided that *she* was too young. But then again, I think she's too young to read the book too, but I let her do that, because with the book I figure she can control her reading experience.

Yeah, make no mistake: I'm not going to begrudge or criticize any parent who brings an 8-year old to the film, mind you, (not really my business) but for most 8-year-olds, I think the movie is too much for them.

It isn't "Saw", but it isn't "Up" either.

Even "Up" was too upsetting for my kids, but they were wee when it came out.

I never finished watching Up, because the scene with him sitting outside of the courtroom was just too sad. I knew it would get better, but I just couldn't handle it.

Up was super super sad. But I would not bring a kid under 13 or so to Hunger Games. Maybe a 12 year old or 11 year old with heavy prepping and if they'd already read the book.

Skipping to apologize, while it's at least the right month, because I didn't have any computer access during the entire two couple of days, so I've missed wishing libkitty on time for her birthday (which was the 30th of March).

Happy third-day-of-your-new-age, libkitty! With lots of wishes for a great, um, weekend? And a wonderful year!

Insomniac/hip pain posting:

He called to tell me he had a really nice day, there is a literature thing going on in Oxford and he'd just come back from some sort of thing with Derek Landy and got to hear him talk about Skullduggery Pleasant

Holy crap. He's an author I would pay to see speak. That's awesome. I'm only moderately seething with jealousy.

Come on, ibuprofen. You can start working on my hip any time now.