some random stuff

I have not been good at the posty lately. This is because I am just in a natural dry spell on things to talk about, but also because tonight is the first night since Evelyn got sick a week ago that she has not fought me tooth and nail (literally) over bedtime. She has been up until midnight nearly every night. It hasn't been terribly unpleasant times (except when we are in the middle of it and she is expressing her fond desire to not go to bed) but it has seriously cut into the computer time that I have at my desk. I have my laptop with me on the couch, which is great because I have plenty of time for reading random things on the internet. I don't have the hands free to type, though, except by using an on-screen keyboard. I try to limit that, as you might imagine. (However, keep it in mind, you nursing moms. It's better than the alternative of not being able to type at all!)

I am still semi-sickish, but it seems like so far, my immune system is working hard on not giving in. I worked my tushie off today because my house was a disaster, so I am clearly not at death's door. Now let's just hope that it stays that way. My sweet husband made me a cup of green tea with honey to soothe the throat this evening, and I have been slowly cleaning my desk off and playing with coupons and rebates. It's kind of silly, I know, but all the paperwork from that is so stress-relieving for me right now. How long has it been since you cut a bunch of things out? It's nice. I would like to go back to kindergarten, please. I can't wait until Evie is big enough to play with scissors and glue and construction paper. She thinks she's big enough for crayons right now. Why is it that the child who won't eat much actual food will willingly pop crayons into her mouth? (and beetles, I guess. Also, Cheerios off the floor.)

Proof that M is worse off than me, or you: he, in all seriousness, proclaimed an instance of poo "cute" this weekend. No, baby. Just... no. (I will also note that it was not a diaper that he was involved in changing, so easy for him to say in any case. HMPH.)

Evelyn has a doctor's appointment this week to celebrate her fifteenth month (or something like that). She has had a spotty vaccination record. I wouldn't let them start in the hospital with anything. She had some shots at two months and four months (I think) and at six months, she was sick so we declined. Right around then, we got a little freaked out and decided to hold off on giving her any more until we had really figured out what we wanted to do about it. They're not impressed at the pediatrician's office but they're not particularly irate about it. I haven't spent a whole heaping lot of time researching the issue, because when I try, I get really pissed off at some of the people in the non-vaccinating camp who post viciously on certain message boards. (Believe me, if you are reading this, I am NOT talking about you!) I know this is a childish reaction but the judgmental tones and accusatory language and fearmongering they spread around... well, it makes me want to vaccinate everyone I see (twice! just in case!) just so I'm not like they are. ;) I guess no one ever told them about catching more flies with honey because they scare me and not in the way they're trying to. Seriously, though, I have always been a little uncomfortable with my child being relatively safe from disease due to society at large following the mandated vaccination schedules. I don't know what I believe on the links to autism and all of that other stuff. I do know that if she died from something I could have prevented, I would never forgive myself, whereas autism (if there is a link) wouldn't kill her. So much easier to say at this point, when I have a perfectly healthy, normal kid (so far) than it was when she was littler. So I guess we're hopping back on the mainstream bandwagon. I know everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats, hoping I would put forth an opinion on this tired subject so I'm glad to put the question in your minds to rest here.

I just finished reading the first four books in a fantasy series recommended by big_bubba (George RR Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire). My life seems strangely incomplete now that I am not lugging around a 1100 page book everywhere I go, reading about really ugly people that die a lot. I hadn't noticed this until M pointed it out (he's on book two) but the characters are mostly all hideously unattractive in their descriptions. I will spare you all any further analysis because a) I'm lazy and b) it's boring for most and c) it would be spoilery for the boyo. And now I am back to waiting, again, for yet another novel. Maybe this is why I usually stick with romance...