18!

Here's something deserving of a real, written paragraph: baby boy is 18 months old today. That's a year-and-a-half, for those who don't like to do math in their heads. I can hardly believe it. He had a fitful night's sleep last night, and awoke with a runny nose so I guess his little body's celebrating with either a new tooth or a cold - time will tell. But all in all though he's the best. Snuggling and reading together before bed is the highlight of my day. Seeing him smile just kills me every time. Yeah he's still taking his time, verbally, but added a new word, "another," pronounced "an-nud-DURR." Not sure what he thinks it means, but it makes me smile every time I hear it come out of his mouth. This weekend he's being left with grandma for a full 24 hours while we go to a wedding in Manhattan. This is only the second time I've spent a night away from him and even though I'm looking forward to the prospect of a full night's sleep, I am a little nervous. I'm sure he and grandma will do wonderfully, but you know how it is with your babies, even grown-up 18-month-olds. Anyway, that's the big doings round our house. Those 18 months sure flew, they brought so much with them. I can't even imagine the crazy joy awaiting us.

Everything else gets a bullet:

-Mike managed to locate and procure a pint of Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls ice cream. Verdict: awesome. It's worth seeking out.

-Last night I watched Battle Royale which I've been meaning to see for ages and it was a blast. For a violent, gritty, distopian film, it had a lot of heart and all the kids were so, so cute. I enjoyed it on its own merits, but it also really whet my appetite for The Hunger Games films, which I've decided to think of as more of an homage an less of a rip-off. I recommend it especially for HG fans who haven't already seen it.

-Back when I was writing my hair critique, I forgot to mention the biggest current offender: Laura Dern in Enlightened. Cut those bangs, girl! If there's one thing I can't stand, it's people with hair constantly in their eyes. How can they function like that? Get off my lawn! But seriously, the show's growing on me - last week's final scene made me bawl. Just cut the bangs and I'll be even more of a fan.

-I really am looking forward to our whirlwind trip to New York, getting dolled up, dancing and partying with good friends and getting the night off from being parents. Mike and I will do our best to not let our good time be spoiled with senseless worrying. I think alcohol will come in quite handy, there.

Life - she's-a pretty decent. And I'm choosing to close out my week's musical theme on this note. Jennifer Holliday, my word.