Raising Devils

Cause That’s Just How We Roll

Saturday, January 21st, 2012 | Connecting the Dots | 2 Comments

Cause That’s Just How We Roll

Originally uploaded by kjda

Yeah yeah yeah, they’re late.

I Finally Feel Like a Real Writer

Thursday, January 19th, 2012 | Connecting the Dots | No Comments

I Finally Feel Like a Real Writer

Originally uploaded by kjda

Although it’s a little hard to write.

KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

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Helping the Dentist Out

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 | Connecting the Dots | 1 Comment

Helping the Dentist Out

Originally uploaded by kjda

KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

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Fwd: Darn it

Saturday, January 14th, 2012 | Connecting the Dots | 1 Comment

Fwd: Darn it

Originally uploaded by kjda

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> I forgot my skates…I will just have to sit in here and watch…with my iPad…weep for me.
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Four Kids, No Tea

Saturday, January 7th, 2012 | Connecting the Dots | 3 Comments

This afternoon Lily wanted tea.

I didn’t really object to Lily having tea. I mean, it’s tea. What’s not to like? I’d even boiled the water. (For other purposes.)

But if Lily has tea, Wyatt and Rory have to have tea too.

And while Lily is kinda sorta capable of cleaning up the sugar she will spill, and putting the mug and spoon in the dishwwaher, Rory and Wyatt are less so. (Actually Rory is really good at the dishwasher. But she spills sugar.)

And they use mugs. And spoons. And I emptied the dishwasher twice today. I just couldn’t do it.

I know, I know, your kids empty your dishwasher. And wipe the counter. And don’t put sugar in their tea. But you are a much better parent than I am. Mine…don’t.

Result: Lily, who asked, got a mug of this weird Thai hot coffee mix she likes, and no one else got anything. There was much whining, but they survived.

My recollection of life as an only child was that I pretty much always got tea, but I really wanted a sister.

New Desk Ornament

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 | Connecting the Dots | 1 Comment

New Desk Ornament

Originally uploaded by kjda

Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 31st, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | 1 Comment

Happy New Year!

Originally uploaded by kjda

Peace and tranquility. Temporary, but mighty precious.

KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

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New Family Members

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | 2 Comments

New Family Members

Originally uploaded by kjda

The lady I got our kitten from assured me, a novice cat owner, that all kittens come with a free companion poodle.

In retrospect I can see that this must not be true, but here we are. So far, it’s the calmest transition our house has ever seen… but then, we’ve been through some doozies.

Vertibird!

Sunday, December 25th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

Vertibird!

Originally uploaded by kjda

Thanks to the wonders of eBay, I was able to get my Dad the same Christmas present he got me 35 years ago.. Now if only his grandson will let him play with it.

Three Unrelated Thoughts. And a Bonus Fourth.

Sunday, December 11th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | 2 Comments

1. I am now the proud possessor of about 1/2 lb of chestnuts, officially roasted over an open fire, by me and various kids. We ate some. Thoughts? If we reheat them in an oven, do we have to change the song?

2. I can now, finally, begin opening holiday cards–because I finally ordered ours. Yesterday. I find that the guilt about not mailing them comes later.

3. I bought Lily (7) the BEST PRESENT EVER. I love it when I come up with something a person never thought to ask for, but totally would want if he/she had. It’s that cupcake maker thing, and a $6 hand mixer she can get out and use and wash herself. Gonna add some cake mixes and sprinkles and frosting mixes and she will be thrilled to pieces. She is getting the best stuff this year.

4. Kitten update: I’ve gone with a slightly older kitten (nearly five months), to arrive after Christmas (well, we have to drive down to get her). I’m hoping for an easier transition to cat-parenthood than with the teeny weeny teeny tiny model. But I’m a little regretful over it.

Who Needs a Nutcracker

Saturday, December 10th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

Who Needs a Nutcracker

Originally uploaded by kjda

Apparently not us.

The blurs are rocks. My kids have gone prehistoric on me.

It Looks Like Such a LEETLE Rock.

Friday, December 2nd, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

It Looks Like Such a LEETLE Rock.

Originally uploaded by kjda

KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

It Looks Like Such a LEETLE Rock.

Friday, December 2nd, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

It Looks Like Such a LEETLE Rock.

Originally uploaded by kjda

KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

GoodReads Best Books of the Year Awards

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

2011 Goodreads Choice Awards Vote now for your favorite books!

Let’s see, I voted for Cinderella Ate My Daughter, Sideways on a Scooter, and The Wilder Life. I was sadly unable to vote in the fiction category, because, well, it’s been a low fiction reading year (although I’m loving the short stories in If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This, and have Stephen King’s new book on my bed table in all of its rather large and daunting glory). And it’s awful, but the only one of the “Best Books” I’d read was Tina Fey’s–and although I liked it, it wasn’t.

Go vote!

Dentist! No Dentist! Dentist!

Monday, November 28th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | 2 Comments

On friday I looked at my iCal and realized–dang, someone has a dentist appointment on Monday! Because I brilliantly failed to categorize it, though, I couldn’t tell who.

“It’s all of them,” my husband said. “We got cards in the mail last week.”

I thought that seemed funny. I thought it was a little soon, but I didn’t think about it very hard. And then last night, I looked again, and the dentist appointment was at nine. Which couldn’t be right, I never make kid dentist appointments at nine. “It’s at eight,” Rob said. Just to be sure, I got out of bed, went to find the cards, looked at the time on one and—eight.

So this morning I rounded everyone up and rushed them into the car, with a little morning madness because it was a Monday after a vacation and a little stress, in part because someone’s body decided that an extended bathroom visit was in order precisely at the moment we needed to leave, but nothing compared to the way it would have been a year or two ago.

We left the house at 7:40 and marched into the dentist right on time.

The dentist’s office was very surprised to see us. No, they said, their appointments are in January! At 8:00.

I hauled four peeved kids (a: they like the dentist and b: they felt rushed through breakfast) out. At 8:15, I dropped the first two off at school. At 8:20, I got a voicemail from the dentist. They’d considerately tried to figure out why I did this thing and realized that I had a dentist appointment. At 9:00.

At 8:35 I walked the other two kids into school, signed them in, and got back in the car.

At 8:55 I arrived back at the dentist.

I know it’s funny. But it threw me off. It took an hour of recovery (and, yanno, tooth chiseling and whatnot, violently spraying teeny weeny fire hoses and sharp pointy implements) before I could laugh. I’m still regrouping. Why does this kind of thing–ultimately nothing but dumb and inconvenient–BUG me so much?

Results Achieved

Friday, November 25th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

Results Achieved

Originally uploaded by kjda

Through a judicious application of bribes and threats.
KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

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Cool Pout.

Friday, November 25th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

Cool Pout.

Originally uploaded by kjda

KJ Dell’Antonia

Wyatt in a tree

Friday, November 25th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | Comments Off

Wyatt in a tree

Originally uploaded by kjda

KJ Dell’Antonia
sent from my iPhone

Surprise! The Kitten Would be a SURPRISE!

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | 2 Comments

I always forget I know some of you IRL. So–it’s a Christmas surprise. More anon.

Should We Get a Kitten

Sunday, November 20th, 2011 | Connecting the Dots | 4 Comments

I’ve lost my mind, I know I have. I am thinking of getting a kitten. I nice Siberian, because I was very allergic as a kid, although I seem ok now, and they are supposed to not produce the protein that causes allergies. (Dr. Oz says so, so it must be true!)

Who thinks our dog, who is largely interested in other animals but not aggressive, would enjoy
the companionship of a cat? Will I? Or is this just another one of my patented really bad ideas?