Last week my advice column at the Orange County Register’s website was about flying with small children.  The irony is that in a week from today, we will be taking our first flight as a family of six, and I am TOTALLY FREAKED OUT about it. We are so outnumbered.  We’ve only even flown with three kids once.  It’s hard to believe, but since Karis was born we’ve only taken one trip as a family – to Seattle over a year ago.  Every other trip over the past two years has been some . . .

Yesterday India got gum in her hair and I had to cut out a chunk in the back, and today I thought I would even it out and then just trim it up by an inch, but then I realized that I had taken off way more than an inch on one side, so then I cut my way back around to the other side, and then I cut more because I couldn’t seem to get it even, and the next thing I knew I had cut her hair off to her shoulders and OMG I COULD CRY. Before: After: She has been begging me to cut her hair short . . .

“For four years, bloggers powerful and insignificant, those blessed with voices like angels and those who sound like Kermit the Frog, the confident and the theologically-confused, all came together to promote peace and harmony and love.  But when we look around our world, even after all our hard work, all we see is fighting and killing. Are you not pleased with our songs and our delightful photos of our decorated trees, bright menorahs, and our cats wearing Santa hats?  Has our . . .

Daycare ropes for civilian use.  Jafta’s kindergarten has an unfortunate system where I have to park and then walk all the kids into the middle of campus to get him.   I’m not sure I can adequately explain how chaotic it is to walk my three younger kids through a small campus with 200 kindergartners running around.  All three of them run in different directions, Kembe trying to escape to the basketball hoop, India blindly following any girl with a pretty backpack, and Karis . . .

Grades are due,  My column is due.  My song for Fifth Annual Blogger Christmalhijrahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert is due.  So naturally, I’m wasting time on the internet at midnight.  Here are some highlights of my excellent time management this evening: 1. Check the calendar on my church’s website, and realize that the live-tweeting function means that I can pretty much write anything and have it show up on the front page.  2. Read this post and realize I have . . .

Two weeks ago I was invited to see the play Ruined at La Jolla Playhouse.  Being a theater geek, I readily agreed to go to the premiere before having any clue what the show was about.  The La Jolla Playhouse has a great reputation and some of my favorite plays (Memphis, Thoroughly Modern Millie) have premiered there before going to Broadway, so I was excited to see anything they were putting up. A few days before the show, I decided to read up on what I was going to see. I knew that . . .

What is it about school photos that just stops the heart, and makes you feel like your kids have grown up suddenly without you noticing?  These pictures make me want to break into the chorus of “Sunrise Sunset”.   How did they get so big?  I love these.  Even if Kembe is wearing makeup, and Jafta is fighting the urge to bring his spiderman hand into the photo. . . .