Oy

I've been up since 3.

Dillo's sleeping 3-4 hour stretches now instead of a nice big 6-hour; sigh. I wouldn't mind so much if Casper hadn't woken up crying the last several nights right smack in the middle of Dillo's sleeping stretch.

mr. flea noted that Dillo's head is sort of flat on one side (from lying on it), so we're trying to prop him to sleep on the other side. Can't have a kid with a flat head.

Valerie, the new nanny, starts this morning. She'll be here 9-1 weekdays, with baby Evan (5 months; female) as well as the Dillo 3 of those days. I will be at work 6 hours and working from home 2 hours a day from now through the end of the year. Not wildly excited about it; work is already fairly dull again.

We spent the weekend making the house sort of presentable, now that there will be non-family people spending time in it evey day. Did some yard work. Walked over to campus and caught the last of the Pride Parade; lots of dogs and kids and pink-haired drag queens, a 3-year-old safe event as long as we didn't browse the booths too carefully.

Must try to sleep more.

To Join, or Not To Join?

I've been invited to join a book club, a newly-forming one. Three years ago Sunshine's father gave her a gift certificate to Magnolia Grill (=local fancy restuarant), and instead of going herself, she invted all the new(ish) mothers of her acquaintance for dessert. Then her father died, and left some money, and she's made the dessert night an annual thing. This spring when we went people talked about books, and someone suggested a book club for mothers, who don't have a lot of time to read, would be nice. A low-key book club. The first meeting is tomorrow, at the house of one of the people I know slightly. We've sent in suggested books, and at this first meeting we'll discuss which we want to read. We're supposed to bring potluck snacky things. My knowledge of the people ranges from well (1) to slightly (2-3) to basically not at all (3-4).

I'd like to read some of the books suggested: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime; Tracy Kidder's book on Paul Farmer. Several of them seem to be required freshman reading in the local colleges over the past several years (Nickel and Dimed, The Kite Runner). I suggested West With the Night and To Say Nothing of the Dog (the latter despite the request "please no science fiction"!!) Anyway, the mix seems manageable for my tastes and not too Oprah-y.

Practically, I think this could be manageable, though it's two neighborhoods away, a longish walk, and the mess of children's bedtimes makes it complex. (I think if I go tomorrow, I'll feed the Dillo at 7, get mr. flea to drive me over - it's at 7:30 - then he can put Dillo to bed while parking Casper with some Muppet Show or something, and then put her to bed. I'd either get a ride home or walk home.) What makes me reluctant is a real problem I have with joining stuff. I am so Not A Joiner. I lurked forever (probably a year, anyway) at b.org. I don't play group sports. I sometimes join things because I feel they are worthwhile and nobody else is willing to (see also, involvement in parent organization), but generally, no. So I can't decide.

Ah well. At least by writing this I spared you all the real debate that has been obsessing me for 12 weeks now, To Have Another Child Or Not?? (Yes, it is ridiculous to ponder this when Second Child is less than 3 months old. But, if we don't, I get to get rid of all kinds of stuff like maternity clothes, infant stuff as he outgrows it. And I am mildly obsessed with having less stuff in my house.)

duuuude

The Dillo has spent most of the day staring at his left fist. "Dude, I have a ... a *hand*, dude!"