I love love love the black bean burgers with avocado. Yum. Doesn't help with your protein needs but sure is tasty.

I will say, one thing I've become [more] aware of after becoming a parent and getting to know other parents is the extent to which many people feel the need to present the happy-face, sanitized, perfectly lit version of their lives to all and sundry. I find myself much more drawn to those who are willing to admit to the difficult times or even the dark times.

Heh. Yeah.

Holy shit, yeah.

smonster, the next time you're in KC, because IT WILL HAPPEN, DAMMIT, you can be my free guest with my friend Kelly, who is an AMAZING yoga instructor.

ION, I made it to two yoga classes this weekend, and plan to go for a walk/Zombie jog tomorrow, workload and weather permitting.

So I've found it useful to remind myself that many people are only presenting the shiniest, happiest parts of their lives,

Trust me, you only want to see pictures of Matilda in cool clothes, and not listen to her have whiny meltdowns before school and before bed.

Although my parents enjoyed sharing a photo of me as a baby, sitting in my little table (one of those that's a table with an opening and seat in the middle) with spinach spread across my entire face.

Thanks for the input. Less coughing today. I'll keep monitoring.

Relief to all coughing persons.

I'm probably hated universally by people with difficult conception and pregnancies. No one seemed to understand that it *is* a problem when you can't, apparently, breathe in the same room as your spouse without getting knocked up. We were looking at four kids every three years type productivity, despite doubling up on the birth control, before the blessed IUD. Which brought its own problems, but at least we were able to stop reproducing.

Pregnancy, fortunately, was easy. Sure, the hairtrigger all-day sickness had to be dealt with, but it was simple to do--crackers at the ready, avoid Italian food, OJ, and cigars. Otherwise, good to go. Pregnancy was the only time I lost weight effortlessly--and healthily. I felt fabulous, up to the last two weeks. I delivered in the middle of the afternoon, on my due date, first time after eight hours' labor, second after with four. We considered surrogacy, but then the realities of actually raising children, particularly a challenging child, put paid to that.

sj, I'm sorry you're having difficulty, and I wish you all the ease and comfort and health and wonderful results possible. Kate, you too. It's not at all a simple thing you're doing. But it's good people making more good people, and that's a wonderful thing.

With an abrupt change of subject, this seems to be the place to share the story about vampire squirrels.

for realz

Thanks, everyone. I have spent most of my day on the phone with our health insurance company trying to figure out the changes that are going into effect in July (one month before ltc's due date). Long story short, it's going to cost us a lot more than we were expecting.

Oh, that sucks.