7 Quick Takes Friday, #35

Which, actually, is not being hosted this week, but me being such a creature of habit, I've written mine anyway...


1. Mia's imagination has really begun flowing freely. She makes up games and words and songs all day, every day - making for lots of fun around here. Yesterday, something she said had me laughing for hours.

"Mom, I'm a super hero, OK?" she announced at lunch.

"Ooooh, that sounds like fun," I said. "What's your super power?"

"Nothing really, I'm just a super hero. But I can skunk people, too." This was spoken in her most matter-of-fact voice. I knew by her tone that this wasn't something to laugh at. Serious business here.

"Wow sweetie, you're a superhero skunk? I've never seen one of those before. What's your name?" I asked.

She needed to think about this for awhile. Then, decisively: "Tyrannosaurus Rex."

So, if you ever need a Super Skunk named Tyrannosaurus Rex, you'll know just where to find one. Amazingly, she smells wonderful.




2. Ever since Lauren's no good, very bad vomity day last Friday, she's been off her game. Not really sick, but not really well either. Fussy, sleepy, not eating much - and I have no idea what's bothering her. Yesterday morning she kind of felt feverish, and I was glad. Glad! Because then I could pinpoint a reason for her behavior, and treat it. Only, as the day wore on the 'fever' came and went, never really getting to the point of being HOT, but just getting warm now and then. I started to second guess if she really had a fever at all, or if I was just cold from our gloomy weather and therefore she felt warm. I could have taken her temperature, but doing that by myself was likely to get us nowhere, since she - for some strange reason - dislikes the rectal thermometer and doesn't really cooperate with it. Weird, right? Who wouldn't think that was the most acceptable place for a cold, pokey thermometer? Oh yeah - anyone with feelings, that's who. I'm hoping this weekend doesn't turn into a full-blown sickness, because it just seems like she's teetering on the edge of it. And the weekends seem to be when kids usually get sick. It's a germ conspiracy.





3. I read an article the other day about these guys who'd woven a golden tapestry with the silk of spiders. It sounds like the beginning of a creepy fairy tale, right? But it's true. The tapestry is beautiful, the means by which it was created gave me nightmares, and the pictures of the spiders they 'harvested' the silk from are purely terrifying. I can't believe I read the whole story without fainting.

You've GOT to go read it and tell me what you thought of it.

(This is like when my older brother used to say 'Here! Smell this thing! It's DISGUSTING!' Which, loosely interpreted, means 'RUN AWAY!')





4. No cute pumpkin cookies were made this week. See number 2, above. Not much in the way of productivity can been accomplished with an 18 month old clinging to my leg/hip/abdomen. But the snuggling makes up for it.





5. Well, I guess the 'no productivity' thing isn't entirely true - just productivity that's as involved as cut-out cookies which then need to be decorated. Because I did accomplish some hot rolls with dinner one night this week. They were big and round and fluffy and delicious.

The next morning as we were driving to school, I pointed out the moon high in the sky to Mia. (No, it wasn't that early. Just one of those really clear days where the moon was still visible in daylight.) I said, "It's a full moon up there, so we can see it even though it's not nighttime." (Yes, my scientific description is somewhat lacking. Try to focus on the cute story instead.)

"No. No mom." Mia stated. "Not full moon. Roll moon. Because it's like a roll. That's why it's called that."

And I had no rebuttal. It did look like just like one of my rolls...



6. Do you have a favorite color? I truly think I do not. Certain colors appeal to me based on my mood, or the weather, or even what I'm reading at the time. I think all colors can look beautiful when used in the right way, but I can't say there's one color that's my favorite above all others. My husband - right now - is saying, "Black. Black is your favorite - it has to be. Just look at your closet." But that's not true, either. Yes, I am drawn to black clothing. But that has more to do with my lack of fashion sense than anything else; I can never decide if something matches right or clashes with my skin tone so I settle for black and call it good. Maybe it's more accurate to say I am such a lover of color that I cannot choose a single one to call 'my favorite.' Or maybe I'm just indecisive.




7. I've been getting more and more disappointed in the Fall TV lineup. I don't watch very much anyway, but since some new shows have begun, I thought I'd check them out. Cougartown in particular has got me all rankled. It's just so...sad. Courtney Cox's character is recently divorced and trying to throw herself back into the dating pool. She's doing it as promiscuously as possible, taking advice from her party-girl secretary and her new-mother best friend. Both of whom are portrayed as terribly selfish and shallow - for punch lines, I know. But still. It's really sad to think that there are women out there who live their lives this way. It's sad in younger never- married women, too. But. I don't know where I'm going with this. Maybe I just feel like I'm getting old and my prudish thoughts are catching up with me.

Have you found any new good Fall shows that won't step on innocent sensibilities like my own?



Happy weekend!