1. I think the Great Bang Experiment of 2012 is coming to an end. Which will amuse my stylist to no end because I asked him for *months* for bangs. He refused until I showed him a picture, then said, “Oh, those will look good on you.” And they do. However, the combination I have going on now of bangs, glasses, and, occasionally contact lenses, isn’t working so well.
2. I’m occasionally wearing contact lenses again now that it’s summer-time weather. My eyes don’t really like them, but for short periods the minor discomfort is better than fussing with glasses when trying to be active out in the sun.
3. And I’m whispering this because I don’t want the vengeful gods of childcare smiting me, but *we hired a nanny for the summer. It’s going well.* I hope to have a report — a glowing, positive report — at the end of the summer. Please cross your fingers for us.
4. I suddenly find myself with an extra hour with my kids at the end of the day! I’m not always sure what to do with that time! Suggestions welcome!
5. Speaking of suggestions, I’m a little over my favorite Internet news/opinon site (Slate for those of you following along). They’ve kind of turned away from the kind of news analysis I enjoyed (and somewhat relied on) into a lifestyle/lifestyle-critique online magazine. Additionally, they are utterly obsessed with Girls and Mad Men, and I have to avoid those articles like the plague because in the first case I don’t really care and in the second case I haven’t gotten through Season 4 yet. I will always read Slate for the addictive-as-crack advice column Dear Prudie, but I’m kinda burned out on the rest of it. Where/How do you get your Internet news, dear readers?
6. Just this:
This is Kate at the Venture Outdoors event in Point State Park about a month ago. My mother, who took the pictures, reported that Kate wished the snake had been “more wiggly” because she really wanted it to “crawl up her arms and around her neck” because of course she did.
7. Oh, I might have mentioned to the girls that we could get a pet bunny rabbit. Gotta follow up with a few people about that.
8. Every year, my family — my extended clan — descends on Seven Springs Mountain Resort to vacation. We usually stay with my mother and father, who get a townhouse that sleeps 10-12 people.
Dan and I made the radical decision to get our own place this year. Last year was really difficult getting five of us into two rooms, and Michael had a bad week, waking up every night. Since he slept in a room with Flora and Kate, he was also waking them — and probably my parents too.
Dan went along with the plan (to rent our own place) somewhat reluctantly, but I think it’s going to prove to be a good decision. We’ll find out!
What small changes are going on for you? Or big changes for that matter?
Red Pen Mama 
I agree with you: Slate is becoming something different. It’s recent series on why people don’t want kids has been nauseating. No one should have kids who doesn’t want them, and remaining childless is a legitimate life choice. But they are all written with the same unspoken or thinly veiled undertone: being a mommy makes you less than, and they are doing something better with their lives than ‘just’ becoming parents. They complain about the attitudes they get from parents for their lifestyle choice; why are they doing the same to people who want/have them? If everyone felt the way they did, not only would our economy disintegrate very quickly, but the entire human race would die out. Someone has to carry on the species. Just because it’s not them doesn’t mean they get to disrespect the people who do.
Yeah, the tone of those articles *and* the comments definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. The other problem I had was that I have little doubt that the biggest reason they ran with those type of articles was purely for the page views. It wasn’t stellar journalism, and although I could see the point of helping childfree people feel validated, it just was so full of judgement and bitterness from every side. I hated it — and I freaking read every word, so there ya go!
1) I hope your bangs grow quickly, otherwise the process can be really frustrating! 2) I finally gave up on contacts last year…just too uncomfortable. 3) Yay for a great nanny and for more time with kids! 4) Play Jenga, squirt the kids with a hose, look at DIY house projects together and let them plan their dream room (hmmmm…OK, maybe too advanced for M, but the girls might love this). 5) Washingtonpost.com has the best FOOD section ever and my favorite advice columnist, Carolyn Hax. 6) Go, Kate! that girl is fearless. 7) um, good luck…lol 8) I think you will be really happy to have your own space when needed. The big week is coming up soon! 🙂
4. Yes, I’ve been looking through our board games. We don’t have Jenga. I’ll have to give M something else to do! 8. I know! We’re excited. It’s our family vacation this year, and then Dan and I may take a couple’s weekend sometime in October.
UNO! Uno is loads of fun. 🙂
I read a lot of Talking Points Memo (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/) and Andrew Sullivan’s Blog “The Daily Dish” on The Daily Beast (http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/). Beyond that, for straight up news, CNN.com, Post-Gazette online, and for that extra celebrity dish (because I have nothing better to do), E! Online.
Bunny Rabbit = Animal Friends. They have lots, and would be glad to teach you all you need to know.
Yes, I have had Animal Friends suggested to me several times. Gotta update Dan on the plan, and get our house in a bit more order. It’s my attempt to forestall getting a puppy or dog. I am just not ready for that yet.
I need some change in my life! Not that I like change, but I know it would do me some good.
In a few weeks we are going away for the first time in three years. And because we are staying at a hotel, it will seem less like a vacation that it could/should. I think you made a great decision to get your own place. That was one of the best things about our beach trip three years ago. We (the kid, grandma, and us) had our own rooms, and we were not surrounded by nieces and nephews. I cannot imagine spending a week with a large group of people; I would need another vacation after that.
I really hope the nanny works out. I know how stressed out I was trying to find childcare for the summer. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if we look at it from a $ perspective), I am no longer working, so I dodged that bullet for now.