"Temple Monkeys"

Everyone had gone to bed by the time I lit the Friday lamps, 

so the puppies were the only ones who got bottus.

_

Errands

Nu and I dropped off a bunch of stuff at Goodwill, the consignment store, and the bookstore 

I don't know what we were expecting, but it wasn't 31 bucks to spend at will at Schuler's.

_

"I have all these friends mama"

Last day of school; no yearbook.

In which I embarrass my family on Facebook

"Tony died."

At came down to breakfast. breaking the news about Anthony Bourdain--apologetically. And now, at the end of the day, I am just grateful that everyone I know online seems to recognize the curiosity, empathy, and generosity that made him so extraordinary. Big A had worked overnight, but I knew that this would be the one celeb whose passing would affect him. And sure enough, as soon as he got off his shift, he texted: "Tony died." We have all his books, watched some of his shows back when we had time, and knew enough to love him. And all my media and/or NYC people had stories about meeting him, of him being an ally without making it all about himself.

On the way home from getting Nu from school, while we were waiting for the train to clear the tracks, we were rear-ended. I had taken the puppies for a little car ride, and Huck is so tiny that she flew into Nu's lap from the backseat. I went to talk to the driver of the other car, and it was a young woman who immediately began apologizing so profusely, all my criticisms were silenced. It looked like both cars were fine, and she swore that she wasn't texting, so I told her to be safe, and brought the kids home. Big A was rather loud and adamant that I should have taken her insurance information anyway.

Of course, I've been crying--somewhat disproportionately--since then.
_

Field Trip All Day

Greenfield Village: Nu's backpack holds 

bug spray, sunscreen, lunch, a water bottle, 

phone, headphones, assorted purchases 

and THREE books she brought from home.

When Nu went to pretend suffragette jail. 

We'd just watched excerpts from Iron Jawed Angels* in there 

and her expression while appropriate, nevertheless cracks me up. 

Both girls were horrified that women were not allowed to attend college.

The real, actual, Rosa Parks Bus. 

I loved that  Nu remembered 

the statue of Rosa Parks sitting in the Capitol 

from our D.C. visit two years ago.

"Everyone else is standing, but she gets to sit."

* And as I linked to the film's Wikipedia link, I was mildly horrified both by the lack of a hyphen in the title and the gratuitous seminudity on the poster. Really?!?

Summer 'Hang'

I'm trying to transcend gravity 

on Nu's webby swing while she's at school.

 My companion is the other little girl 

who--just like her mama--loves the sun.

_