Thursday

I really want to be creative today. I've got to work on Halloween costumes* and figure out the second half of my WIP. I've also got a toddler with croup (none of my kids have ever had croup before--with drugs** it's not too bad, and PMB will sleep at night--but only if he's got my scalp in a death grip, which means he might be happy, but I'm awake all night). Also, I'm teaching art at my daughter's 3rd grade class today, and have parent-teacher conferences for my second son this afternoon, AND a scout pack meeting to go to later on tonight. All I want to do is climb in bed and get some sleep! There is only so long the adrenaline will last...

No school tomorrow, though. Maybe we can all just sleep in. -Plots to cover all windows in black felt a la London air raids while children are sleeping-


*At the middle school book fair yesterday, PMB got all excited--up on the walls of the library was a huge mural of ancient Egypt. He seemed to recognize the different guys up there (Anubis, Thoth, Horus, Osiris, etc.)--this whole Egyptian thing is bigger than I realized at our house.

**Luckily the dosage is small and for a wide weight variety. The doctor's office accidentally recorded my child as weighing TEN pounds more than he actually does, and based his dosage on that. When you're 30, maybe it doesn't matter so much. When you're two, there's a big difference between 25 and 35 pounds. It's all worked out now--but I think I'll keep an eye on my kids' weights before getting any prescriptions from now on, just in case.

RIP Eva Ibbotson

So sad to see the news that Eva Ibbotson died yesterday at the age of 85. She was born in Vienna and moved to England when she was 8 as a result of the Anschluss, I believe (Germany taking over Austria). She was one of those rare people who write right up until the end and it only gets better. She was interested in the environment and elements of that interest showed up in both her children's fantasy and nonfantasy books. My favorite book of hers is THE STAR OF KAZAN, which tells the story of a foundling growing up in Vienna, and which involves horses, Germany, cellos, and jewels. She was about 80 when it was published.