It seems to me that seltzer is saltier than club soda, but that could be all in my head. Mouth, I guess.

Brenda, where did you hear about the Purple Line fire? I didn't see anything at the Tribune's web site. More often than not, I can't find info on service disruptions due to suicide, etc.

NPR.

I'm wondering how much he remembers from 2000 (when he would have been 6 mos old, but you know Chris). I ranted and raved, and could feel my blood pressure spike, every time. This time, I was very and weirdly Zen about the election.

I'm sure he learned more from a calm, collected, but informed atmosphere this past November. Or he could have picked up on my freak out vibes from 600 miles away.

And we all know I freaked out enough for all of us.

I'm sure he learned more from a calm, collected, but informed atmosphere this past November. Or he could have picked up on my freak out vibes from 600 miles away.

And we all know I freaked out enough for all of us.

Oh, today, I had a huge freak out of the mothering kind. We had to clean out the spare room, because my mother will be staying with us from time to time, until she finds a condo.

We'd taken toys out of our den (the window seat has cupboards underneath), when we were treated for carpenter ants about a month ago. They've languished in trash bags in the spare room, ever since. So I had the kids put them away, today (Scott culled some over the last couple of weeks).

Anyhow...I heard Julia yell at Chris not to put a plastic bag over his head. So I joined her, explaining how dangerous it was, and that he could even die. He seemed to get it, and when he was upset that Julia hollered at him, I explained she was just scared, and she was smart, and right to make him stop, even if she was yelling, when she did it.

They continued putting the toys away. I went upstairs to do something else to the spare room. I came back down, and Chris was alone in the den, with a FREAKING TRASH BAG OVER HIS HEAD.

He heard me coming and took it off, as I snatched it off. I really gave him what for, which made him cry, which would have made me cry, EXCEPT HE'D HAD A FREAKING TRASH BAG OVER HIS HEAD.

I explained AGAIN about how dangerous they were. He cried and said he was sorry. Then I explained about 3 more times, because it FREAKED me out that he would do this, after I'd already explained. He's not 3. He's 5.

Later, after his lunch, I talked to him, because when I'd scolded him, he'd said something about not being able to get his arms in, and I honestly just thought he'd been making up a (piss poor) cover story. It turns out, there was a toy at the bottom (and I know there was, it was a little doll that goes with their farm house, or something), and his arms couldn't reach it.

However, I think he now knows not to do that. I could barely breathe when I was telling my mother about it. She had me put him on the phone, and she also explained how dangerous it could be.

Ha ha! I have to be up at 5:00 tomorrow morning to make my flight for my 6 days in Boston, and how much packing have I done? NONE.

Moreover, I am still at work.

I'm so fucking stupid.

Thanks for all the root canal advice.

JZ, you are not stupid. In the midst of packing tonight, could you tell Hec he has email from me that needs answering?

Oh jesus, Cindy. Freak-y.

Jumping ahead to say thanks, Cindy! I hadn't reached my local expert, and thanks to your effort, I can now revert to my natural state of laziness. Now, back catch up.

brenda, I adore this child beyond reason, but he is going to be the death of me. I've aged 10 years, in his five years of life.

I think this scared me a little extra (above and beyond the scariness of seeing your kid sitting in a room alone, with a plastic bag over his head) because I remember being skeptical of the whole, "Don't put a bag over your head, you'll suffocate" thing, when I was little. I distinctly remember being tempted to try it, and then feeling guilty for being tempted to do something my mother had told me was dangerous and wrong. I never did do it, but every once in a while, I would think about it, a lot, because I couldn't shake the idea that if I couldn't breathe, I could just take the bag off.

eta

Jumping ahead to say thanks, Cindy! I hadn't reached my local expert, and thanks to your effort, I can now revert to my natural state of laziness. Now, back catch up.

YIKES, CINDY! And I thought I freaked out over O splashing in the toilet. This story made me break out into a cold sweat.

I've used "raspberry" in that sense, ita. Though not as something you have, only as something you give to someone else.

I want the Slanted and Enchanted tumblers at least partially for the name. Why they gotta want so much funny for the cool stuff?

Yikes, Cindy! What a heart-stopper!