Giant

It's Lyla's birthday in one week. My parents, who apparently subscribe to the bigger-is-better school of thought when giving gifts, dropped off that monstrosity last night. I might fold laundry on it later.

One year ago today, Julie was officially overdue.


Here she is posing jauntily, beach ball stuffed up her shirt. That morning she went to the doctor and got her membrane stripped, like a paramecium during pledge week.

I'm really proud of that last sentence, so please read it again.

A year later, Lyla is a total mama's girl. I got home with her early this evening; we were playing, and everything was pleasant. Suddenly Daisy began barking at the voices in her head, and Tulip began barking at Daisy's barking. Lyla misinterpreted the barking to mean "Mama's home," so she squirmed out of my lap and teeter-waddled to the door.

She fell apart when she realized Mama was not there. She pushed that car in the above photo all around the living room while saying "Ma" in various shades of disappointment. I felt so bad for her that I almost let her open the giant package.