Kid Squared

Jane and Sharon

I took a break last night and went to dinner with Jane and Sharon. Jane leaves for her new job in Boston while I am in Vancouver, so this was the last dinner we'll have together for a while. The three of us have been our own unit of friendship for years now. All of our hikes, parties, talks, life cycle celebrations and mournings - we've been through just about everything together. I am viewing this not as an end, not as a pause, just as lengthing of the ties that bind us - because we'll never really be apart.

Finals week continues

On Thursday, I was on my bed studying all day. The boys decided that they should study with me around bedtime, so in my bed we sat all doing our own work. Very cozy.

This boy loves his mother.

At noon a week from today it will all be over - for a few weeks anyway

I've been studying most of the day - for the Con law final - a subject I love, but it intimidates me. I had to nap too - my brain was tired. Then I picked up Gabo and we decided that Alice was too stinky and gave her a bath. After we ran around and were laughing so hard Gabo stopped for a minute and said, "We are having so much fun. Aren't we?" and then the running continued.

Now they are at Amanda's. I've taken a break to do this and will now hit the books until they return when we will make butterscotch cookies. Have I mentioned I am a little stressed out? I've already gone through a half gallon of mint choc. chip ice cream -by myself- in two and half days.

Now that is a kiss - look how hard he's pulling me to him. That kid knows how to love.

Gabo got his yellow belt.

Gabo bowing after he has received his belt

This is so true

Your blog can be group therapy
By Anna Jane Grossman

(LifeWire) -- When a 24-year-old woman who called herself "90DayJane" launched a blog in February announcing she would write about her life and feelings for three months and then commit suicide, 150,000 readers flocked to the site. Some came to offer help, some to delight in the drama. Others speculated it was all a hoax.

Few, however, questioned why she would share her deepest thoughts and feelings with strangers online. In the age of cyber-voyeurism, the better question might be: Why wouldn't she?

Overeating, alcoholism, depression -- name the problem and you'll find someone's personal blog on the subject. Roughly 12 million Americans have blogs, according to polls by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2006, and many seem to use them as a form of group therapy.

A cry for help from Zimbabwe

I have a friend with deep ties to Africa. He grew up in South Africa and has friends across the continent. His brother sent this to him -it's a letter, a plea for help, that has been floating around the web for three years, and still nothings been done, and things are worse than the day he wrote it. The auther, John Winter and the people of Zimbabwe, must really feel alone and that they are screaming in a void because still the international community has done virtually nothing.

There was an article about Zimbabwe in the New York Times in April, describing the deterioration of this nation.

It's hard not to by cynical, with so many people in so many nations being hurt, killed, or starving to death. All the lives being destroyed. How do you choose which people you will use your voice to try and save? I don't know the answer to that. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and that our voice will be lost in the wind because so often it does. But still - it's worth the effort, better than doing nothing.

In one day

I took a three hour final (I feel good about it), then I drove to Universal to see my friend John (I'm very proud - he created the show Ghost Whisperer) who was in town, from New York, to direct the season finale of his show.

Remembering to take off our sunglasses

Camille's first visit to a set.

Directing Love

Then I came home and played with the boys