A Tall Girl's Adventures in a Tiny World

We took a few Bachmania family photos for you, so you can remember how pretty we are. (Eek...look at all those chins!) Pitino needed to get in on the action, too...he's part of the family, after all. Too bad he refuses to smile for the camera. Mommy looks a little scary in this one, but darn, Hayden is cute, ain't he? Hayden wanted to play a little concert for you. Imagine he's plunking away on the piano, singing his Sesame Street medley of "Rubber Ducky," "Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood," and "Elmo's Song" all mashed together. Here's our little Mousekateer, modeling his favorite "hat." He doesn't get it when we call them ears, and he insists on wearing them backwards...

i have to tell you about the book i'm reading, a thousand splendid suns , by khaled hosseini . it's amazing. has completely opened my eyes to what's been happening in afghanistan over the last 30 years. i am feeling totally humbled, blessed, fortunate to have been born in this country -- for no other reason than dumb luck. and i am wondering if i would have the strength to endure what the women in that country have endured and endure every single moment of their lives. i feel small and insignificant and spoiled rotten. i feel embarrassed by my tendency to dwell on petty inconveniences such as tight budgeting and out-of-style blouses. and i feel really angry with myself for being so ignorant and naive about what has been happening in afghanistan while the world didn't really notice, and that i've been so trusting that just by watching the news every day, i'm in the know. (truth is, what appears on the news has already been happening for far too long to even be co...

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: My job rocks. The work is interesting, the people are friendly and intelligent, the flexibile schedule is amazing. Today I was reminded once more why I'm so fortunate. Because I work from home on Tuesdays, I can now attend the Elizabeth Circle meetings at my church. For those of you who aren't familiar with Presbyterian Women's Circles (as I was until this morning), Circles are intended for groups of women of similar interests, lifestyles, age, etc. to get together once a month to talk, work for the community, pray, support one another. I have always been a tentative joiner of all things churchy -- it took us almost 5 years just to join this church, even though I attended fairly regularly -- and now that I'm a deacon, I'm counting the days until that particular service is over. So, I was skeptical about getting involved in the Elizabeth Circle: Are they going to be asking me to devote time every week to one cause o...

Hayden's test-driving Aunt Kathie's (aka AnKhaki) sports car

10. He calls to ask if he should pick anything up at the store on his way home. 9. He rubs my feet or shoulders, if I ask nicely. 8. He does all the laundry -- including folding and ironing. 7. He makes me laugh without really trying. 6. He buys me little presents for no reason at all, except to let me know he was thinking of me. 5. He plays cars or reads books with Sweet Boy whenever possible. And he lives for tickle-time. 4. He encourages my girls' nites out, and makes extra effort to get home early to be with the boy while Mommy gets ready. 3. He has a gift for settling Sweet Boy down to sleep at night, and even more importantly, he can quietly get Sweet Boy to go back to sleep on a Saturday morning (like pushing the snooze button on the toddler). 2. He reminds me not to worry about things I can't control. 1. When he kisses me, I know he means it.

This weekend my dad did the bravest thing I've ever imagined a parent doing: He took my younger sister, Robyn, to the airport and kissed her goodbye, then drove off while she boarded a plane for Sierra Leone . She'll be there for 5 months, working with a migration organization . She's done so much legwork up to this point, informing us all as she goes, to reassure each of us that she'll be safe. Dad has been dreading the day for months, but when it finally came, he bravely let her fly. Robyn's only 20 -- old enough to make her own decisions, young enough to take on the world without trepidation. She's the baby in our family, and Dad has raised her on his own for the last 10 years. Their relationship is much stronger and deeper, I think, than the one my brother and I share with Dad; their battles are much more intense, of course, but their rapport is remarkable. Truth be told, I think they're best friends, which is why this had to be the most difficult thing ...