from most recent to least:

C, after she found me in a totally different room than she thought I’d be: “Wow Mommy, that was like a Jack-Jack maneuver.”

Date last night, followed by an overnight in DC courtesy of Priceline while kids had MaDear sleepover. Potluck here tonight with the PNC that called me one year ago this month. Phone convo afterward with a parishioner about life, death and the things that really matter. It’s a good life.

After buying tix to One Man Lord of the Rings a year ago–and then forgetting to go–we’re making another attempt tonite. #busynessfail #geeks

Am sitting with the swim team *kids* this time, who converse on a variety of subjects. #notgrumpy

Dear swim team moms: Yes, our kids are fascinating but are you capable of talking about anything else? #1ofthesenotlikeother #grumpy

Had a great time at media training today–kudos to Auburn Seminary for sponsoring such a great program. Mr. Olbermann, I’m ready for my closeup. Also had lunch with my mom. Great session meeting tonight too. Tired but happy.

The Signature Theater Open House was very effective because I’m ready to get season tickets now!

I don’t get being late to your own wedding. “We’re not really ontime people.” OK, but the 100 people in the sanctuary are. #ilovemyjob

J has his first sub-100 temp since Monday. In related news, his skin has never looked better after a week indoors.

There was an earthquake? I’ll take your word for it.

R just left with J for the ER–he hasn’t been able shake the fever he’s had since Monday, and it’s no longer responding to tylenol/motrin very well. On-call doc suggested he be taken in for eval, so off they go… say a prayer / think good thoughts / hold them in the light

If u want to help ur introverted kid make friends at the swim meet, give her your #iPhone & she’ll be the center of attn #mommyFTW

Waiting for C at her very first piano lesson. I think she has the world’s sweetest teacher.

Nothing says “Mommy, you’re supposed to go back to work tomorrow after a week of no daycare” like a kid w/ 103.5 temp! #mylifesucks

Kids will eat overripe bananas they wouldn’t touch otherwise if I slice them and serve them with toothpicks. #parentinghack

J finally learned how to open the door to his room. We’re in a new phase now. #goodwhileitlasted

‎”Our oil hit Texas beaches yesterday. Fortunately, in 20 years their school books will say nothing happened.” -#bpcares, a satire of BP on twitter

Block party: grill, potato salad, sparklers, music, neighbors. You’d think we were in the 50s, except for the multiethnic families and explosives bordering on the hooliganish.

From the writing retreat:

I’ve written 11,000 words this week, and have 40,000 words total on my ‘project.’ I celebrated with a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich.

One day left and my favorite pen ran out of ink. BTW, the Uniball Jetstream pen glides over paper and is worth every penny.

This is the Kingdom of Sh*tty First Drafts, and I am its Queen!!!!

Had barely landed when I got the news that J is sick with a fever. R will probably stay home with him tomorrow, but if anyone can help out a “single” guy in his second week of a new job, we’d be obliged. My guess is by Tuesday he’d be no longer contagious but still not feeling well enough to go to daycare. Comment here or contact R directly. ~Sigh~

Leave for weeklong writing retreat on Sunday. Received the weather report and schedule via e-mail yesterday. The former: highs in 80s, lows in 60s. The latter: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Feels downright sinful, but I intend to sin boldly that grace may abound.

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So this afternoon I worked up a sweat running all over the house to get the swim stuff together. Then I strapped three kids into the steaming hot car, hoping the silver buckles wouldn’t brand their bare legs. What kept me going was the prospect of cold water, but it was just somewhat cool and only marginally refreshing. Thus, I’ve decided that there is such a thing as “too hot to swim.”

‎”Consider the source. If you’re worried about someone who dislikes you, first ask yourself whether they’re an a******. If you don’t like them, and they don’t like you, that’s not a problem. That’s a mutual understanding.” -Mighty Girl

“We’re either in a café in Paris or a coffee shop in New Jersey. I’m pretty sure I just came back from the doctor with life-changing news.”

From a forward called “36 Rules of Life,” sent to me by a church member: “There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.”

I try to think about Glenn Beck as little as possible, but I have been pondering his recent comments on social justice. This article responds as well as I could ever hope to, but there’s something else I’ve been kicking around, a logical fallacy that seems very revealing to me. I know, I know, logic has nothing to do with affairs of politics and the stories we tell ourselves, but hear me out:

1. Beck and his ilk are quite insistent that they aren’t opposed to giving charity to poor people, they’re just opposed to the government being involved. It’s a private, personal thing, a choice that each individual makes to help another person.

2. And yet, Beck and many others on the radical right are just as insistent that we are a Christian nation. Not a nation of Christians, but a Christian nation. A nation founded on so-called Judeo-Christian principles.

Why, then, would these self-professed Christians be opposed to enshrining the teachings of Jesus and the scriptures into our nation’s laws? A Christian nation would demand nothing less.

One could conclude from this that the “Christian nation” thing is just an empty slogan used to enflame the culture war.

Or, one could conclude that they don’t really believe that Jesus calls us to care for the poor.

Fire away…