A would-be update...

So, I won't take the time to give an Idol recap. Aren't you relieved? Suffice to say that I still love the show, and it was sad to see Brooke's expected departure. I really liked her, and that boy with the dreads is getting away with murder these days.

For anyone interested, I have a theory on why I've spent so much time publishing AI commentary. It occurred to me as I attempted to draft an Idol-free update on our family on Tuesday night. I'm really moody these days!! This isn't really a surprise to anyone, especially to me, but it's just a little sad when you can actually see tangible evidence of your moodiness.

You see, I started the post with an update about David's work, which is going very well. Ironically, I had such difficulty restraining myself from pointing out how stressful his most recent adventure was (a good, but eventually rejected job offer from a different company) and how he was given a hard time from someone he respected. (I'm not allowed to elaborate on this, lucky you!)

Then I moved on to a Sophie anecdote which, I realized, would actually qualify as a "green potato chip" story. For those of you who are not avid PBS-Kids viewers (in other words, most of you), a "green potato chip" story is one which we might find cute and enjoy telling about our children but which would really embarrass them. I've adopted this term with the inspiration of a brilliant episode of Arthur, where DW hogs a bag of chips and eats the green one only to later be convinced by her mischievous brother that the green chips are poisonous. DW believes that she'll die at first, but things eventually get resolved. Unfortunately, she becomes a rather mortified local celebrity when her Mom unwittingly shares the story with everyone she knows, including Buster's journalist mother. The episode's genius is punctuated by Binky's presentation of a ballet he choreographed called "The Green Potato Chip," based on his own similar experience. Pure magic!

But seriously, it's so easy to forget that these little people, though being shorter than us, are still loaded with feeling and consciousness as fragile as our own. So, I drafted my GPC story and then realized that it would be unfair to my little lamb. So, that update wasn't so great.

Finally, I got on the subject of painting the kids' room and the nursery. There wasn't much positive to say about the task (as of today, uncompleted). All I could think of was the stress, disappointment, and helplessness of it all. Yuck! Who needs to hear about that? Hopefully the toughest part of it is over, but I haven't started singing yet (and I am pretty poochy these days), so it's not over.

So, I deleted the post. I hope this was a decent substitute .

Well, I think that's why I love to go off on menial subjects like "American Idol." I mean, it's really hard to be moody about a singing contest, isn't it? And, frankly, I get pretty emotional about impending labor experiences. So far, we're 0 for 2 on the "have that little bundle of joy and then get to hold and nurse them soon after" experience. I promise not to elaborate on that, only to say that when my first doctors and David and I did everything wrong, I ended up in horrible shape after the delivery. Then, when we and our second doctor (who was so wonderful, I assure you) did everything right (except for pulling out our crystal ball and predicting that the baby would pass stools and then wear his umbilical cord like a backpack so he just couldn't avoid breathing in mud on the way out), the baby wasn't doing so well after birth. (Aidan was having a ball before birth!) So, what's this poor nameless guy have in store? Only time and another honest attempt to do our very best will tell. Honestly, we really did do our best those first two times. I swear.

See, I told you I was moody. Okay, so this I'll remember - faith, preparation, and gratitude. Faith that, if we do our part, things will work out as they should. We're doing our part, so they will. Preparation for normal and healthy while expecting the unexpected (which right now is - normal and healthy). Gratitude that despite the trials of labors #1 & #2, there are these delightful little people running around all healthy and nutty in our house everyday. Also, all signs show so far that mystery man #3 is healthy and whole, and, despite my mood, so am I. There, that's the spirit!

So, here's my recommitment to a positive attitude (and a humble request for just your faith and prayers). I hope that you too can have a little faith, preparation, and gratitude in your respective lives. Thanks for the listening ear. Somehow, I'm guessing that most of you will understand this a little better than the short blonds in my life. Alas, none of you are as cute as they are. Sorry.