MRP

My family has a (usually) weekly email/newsletter kind of thing that we (usually I) send out called the MRP. We update each other on our lives and we also include writing prompts to spice things up a bit. Not everyone writes every week, but usually at least once a month. It's been a fun way to stay close and in on each other's business. I actually haven't written in a while, probably because I had SO much to say, but I wrote in this last one. Often, I really enjoy writing. I love the process of picking words and images that fit together in fun ways to describe an event or a feeling or whatever. Occasionally I will read over something I have written and smile at myself. Usually there is more surprise than pride in that smile. That smile means "that's good!"

I wrote tonight's MRP after working on a new-ish piece of fiction with a very sassy protagonist. I think she comes out a bit here. So, as a means of spreading my smile and catching you all up a bit on the goings and comings of the Ludlows, here is my MRP (sorry family, you can stop reading now):

Life has been a wee bit nutty around here lately with the move and school starting again and Jane getting her molars in...(ask Jena who said, after watching Jane for me the other day, Jane is "ornery, ornery, ornery"). That said, we LOVE our new apartment. Even in the post-move chaos, it feels so much more homey. Even with bare walls and boxes and homeless stuff and clutter, this apartment totally kicks our last apartment's butt.
We also hit the state fair labor day weekend. After seeing several sleeping children in strollers, and after I lamented that Jane has never slept in her stroller, she fell asleep. All it took was shading her eyes with Lizzy's new bonnet, Eric gently rocking the stroller and the sweet, soft sound of a chain saw. No kidding. We hit the potties, Carlos went off to get some deep-fried cheese curds, and we watched the chain saw sculptor demonstration. I should have tried that at naptime today!

Although, Jane had good reasons for once to cry her eyes out at naptime--the blueberry sized swelling on her bottom right molar and the two marbles I found in her diaper after nap. Seems Joey let Jane play with the marbles the other day when he was over...

In other exciting news, I locked my keys in the car on Monday. Seems that Jane hit the lock button while I was loading the groceries. Did I mention that Jane was also in the car? That was a fun thirteen minutes. Jane knew almost immediately that something was wrong and howled hard the whole time (which is why I know how big that swollen gum is! Perfect view from where I was standing outside the car). Possibly even more humorous where the women that stopped to console me (and scare, I mean distract, Jane with Peek A Boo) and tell me how they'd locked their kid in the car 12, 18, and 24 1/2 years ago. Three women in thirteen minutes!! If that's not a comment on the faulty engineering of car locks and the sleep deprivation of mothers everywhere...outrage! Indignation! Injustice! Someone tell Obama to do something about this!

Whelp, that's all the excitement for now. I still haven't properly blogged about Jane's first birthday. Stay tuned!!! I plomise!