Some things for my daughter’s room (a nightstand, a bedding set, and a table lamp) to help her transition to a “big girl bed” from her crib. But they’re not “fun” gifts or toys so I’m not expecting to get them even though they’d be the most helpful. She has enough toys.

I struggled with this a few years ago when my mother told me over text that she had an incurable disease and had a year to live. I struggled with how I should feel and how I would feel if it happened. She ended up being “healed” by going on a camping trip and praying (though I’d bet money her not-a-real-doctor gave her a false diagnosis). So while I don’t have the conclusion to how I will feel when my mother passes, I will say that my grandmother passed earlier this year and we weren’t that close but it hit me harder than I would’ve thought. I think when my mom does pass I’ll be upset. Either because of the loss or because I’m upset that I don’t feel more from the loss or I’m mourning what we relationship we never had

The small testing for mastery isn’t the issue and is really all that should be done. It’s the hours and hours of state testing that we require of nine year olds that’s the killer. We do quarterly testing starting in third grade with a major test at the end of the year in both reading and math (plus history for 4th and science for 5th). So leaving elementary school kids have completed 30 state assessments that each take several hours to complete (not every kid needs over an hour but you’re still in the testing environment until everyone is finished). Then, there’s no consequences for failing. You still get promoted to the next grade and you’re invited to summer school but not required to attend. If I recall correctly, the data shows that testing is effective and beneficial if its short term, like a unit test, and not long term like a midterm or final.

I was in a sign language class (ASL) around Halloween and the instructor asked if we had ever encountered a ghost. We thought he signed tornado so we signed about times we were near tornadoes while he’s looking on with disbelief and shock and awe about all of our supernatural encounters. We had a good laugh when we figured out the confusion.

We live far away from family so it was just us and a doula with us in the hospital. I wasn’t even induced, just my labor (but the epidural really slowed any progress I had made). I was probably close to a C-section, I pushed for 3.5 hours and I don’t think I could’ve done much more.

I was in labor for 40 hours, so probably that. Then at the end of it I had a baby that didn’t sleep either.