There has been an appalling lack of quality updates lately, and I apologize. Much energy is going elsewhere—work, housework, travel, etc. But enough excuses!

The Biggie is preparing for kindergarten (she refers to herself as a “Kindergartner-in-Waiting”). We recently found out who her new teacher will be, and I am secretly thrilled that she happens to be the wife of a local unicycling juggler. How cool is that? The Big and I bought ALL the hippest size-5 stuff at one of our local consignment shops yesterday. I am pretty sure she will be the only kindergartner with a purple faux-snakeskin jacket.

The Wee One is mellowing with age, meaning she now frequently responds in words rather than screams and displays marginally acceptable behavior in public. She sat in the grocery cart all the way until checkout today (at which point she started using my body as a jungle gym—better me than the candy rack), and I only had to bribe her with a cookie and a bagel. Yeeha! We attended an absolutely lovely wedding this weekend and both of the kids had this strange, sweet glow about them. When they got tired they smiled and drooped on our shoulders, rather than whining and transforming into rabid, anti-social lemurs. The other kids there behaved amazingly as well. (Hmm, five kids, no tantrums despite it being naptime—was there something in the cake?) There were many adoring, childless young newlywed-types there, and I won’t be at all surprised if there is a fresh crop of babies in nine months or so.

Well, there is much more to report, but sadly, no time. I would at least like to send great big internet shout-outs to Jenn, Nicole and Amy—rock on, mama soul (and literal, at least for Jenn) sisters!

(Shhhh, do not tell anyone that I let the dog up on the couch with me. Or that I gave him a cold-pack cheese food-coated cracker.)