This evening the role of Ozzie will be played by AZ and by Chris. The role of Harriet will also be played by both AZ and Chris.

I am the queen of Chris' world right now, and he is showing me the appropriate adulation.

In less than a month, he leaves for a 3 week solo trip to Europe. He will spend the majority of his time in Germany, but is also going to drop by a few other countries since they are a mere train ride away.

I shall toil here as a single mom with a full time job. Right now I am a part time single mom with a full time job. Chris is at Nestlewood 3 1/2 days per week and at his out of town job the other 3 1/2.

He is so grateful to me for my support in his daddy/husband sabbatical, that he is being even more considerate than usual. He's such a perfect 1950s housewife when he's home and I'm working. During the day, he goes to the gym and has coffee with friends and goes to German class at a local university. Afterwards, he will run errands and do things like buy groceries or pop by the post office.

He has a glass of wine poured and chilling for me when I walk in the door. Supper is cooking and he says cliche things to the kids like "Your mother is tired and stressed. Keep the noise level down". There are often bouquets of autumn leaves and wildflowers, freshly cut, in the kitchen when I get home. He always makes sure he has some yummy smelling candles burning.

But I'm the perfect housewife too. I made the yummy smelling candles and I plan and oversee birthday parties and weekend company for the kids. I plan for his time out of town by making soup and things that he can take with him so he doesn't have to subsist on hospital food. Also, I will put out in a New York minute even if I don't particularly want any.

I bring home the bacon and, 1/2 the week, I fry it up in a pan. So does Chris. We genderbend on a daily basis. It works for us.

This was waiting for me in the backyard when I got home from work today!

Every year Chris gives me a Happy Fall gift, but this year he really outdid himself. The kids wanted to be a part of the gift too, so they made me a sign in autumn colors.

I have the best family in the world.

Eye Candy

Chris, having his morning coffee

Sunrise over the Western Carribean Sea

Chess board on the Lido deck. Lina and I couldn't get enough of this!

What's in a Name?

I was thinking today about names. Now, Thumbelina and Huckleberry? Yeah, not their real names. Those names suit their personalities, but have nothing to do with their actual birth certificate names.

When Lina was in my womb, we considered many names for her. We considered Madelyn, Walden(a family name) and Laurel. I recently told her those options and she said "Walden? Yuck! I'm so glad you didn't name me Walden!"

With Huck, we considered Walden (we were going to call him Walt), Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird), Augustus(Lonesome Dove) and Seth.

I was talking to Chris about this earlier tonight, and of course he had to go all obtuse on my ass and talk about how "we, as humans connect with our names and our gender and our job title. But, in the scope of the universe, names have very little to do with what we are, really: a facet of the Deity." I promise, he hadn't a single mushroom or mary j. This is just the world in which he lives.