Aw, Cash, that utterly blows.

So I'm shifting my frame of reference. Instead of seeing this impending road trip as darting across the country to babysit dad, I'm taking this as our family vacation. I think I have to pull Noah from two weeks of his summer program (ugh... I wanted those to be an adjustment for him. Sorry, kid). I think we'll take the Northern Route to Ohio and the Southern Route home. So if you leave near I-80 or I-40 and would like to hook up, let me know.

Tomorrow is Dad's pacemaker surgery.

I know Cruces is off the path of 40 by 3 hours, but if it falls in line with getting where ever, I'l hook you up with my parents. I'm pretty damned certain they'd be happy to put you up at any time.

Kathy, I'm up for Xoco any time you want. Really. Any time.

We really must have a weekend date! I'd have to get my ass downtown, though--it's been forever since I've been in the city.

Ugh, Cash. I hope the bad days are over for the year.

I also did not have a good day, other than Prop 8

Oh Lisa, I'm so sorry.

Kat, you gotta do what you gotta do, but as a parent, your first charge is your kids. If you can't manage the kids and the other things you have to/want to do, you are not evil if you say no.

Cindy, I don't feel evil but I do feel like my dad is not well and I need to see him. He's been hospitalized twice in 3 weeks and has undergone one heart procedure and has another tomorrow.

Here's another wrench. I'm scared that if we go away, we'll lose our awesome nurse who actually got Grace to eat some applesauce by mouth today.

Ideally, I'd be able to leave Grace here and just take Noah. Or maybe I should just go by myself and leave both kids here. But I also worry that if things go downhill with Dad, I won't be able to fly out and I certainly won't be able to take the kids and my kids should get to spend time with him while they can. Morbid much?

our awesome nurse who actually got Grace to eat some applesauce by mouth today.

That gave me a happy!

I hope you can work it out without too much more stress, Kat.

Oh Kat, that's all so sad and hard. You'll do your best deciding. If you feel like you should be there, then you should.

One thing to think about -- your kids are really, really little. Even if God forbid, this is a last chance (and it doesn't look like it), they probably won't remember much. So, in my opinion, you should probably think about deciding on what works best for you and your dad.

If Katie et all can handle the kiddos while you're out of town, it might work easier for you all if you went on your own. I know it's awkward with Grace newly home, but she's loved Katie from birth and she's got Noah. You won't be a bad mommy if you decide you're putting your role as daughter first for the next little while.

Enh. Stress is my bedfellow right now.

Also, I have to throw together an anthology of the work that I've taught at UCLA last week and this week. AND I should write letters to all my students. Both have to be done by Friday. (I have half the anthology laid out, minus artwork, but I am missing the other half of work. So maybe tomorrow will be a work day!)

Life is really good. There's just a lot of it right now.

eta Cindy, I know. But without K and the kids then I'm stuck with just my dad and that's a stress of a whole 'nother time! I know K can totally handle it, but it's hard to be the only one with no one for relief. She's been doing it for the past two weeks while I've been teaching and it's exhausting. I think if I fly I have to take Noah too because it's too hard otherwise.

Would Grace benefit more from building the growing routine, or would the change not be too disruptive?