Abed

I'm brought up from deep sleep by the weight of something on my chest. I still haven't opened my eyes when I hear it, the wee voice of my three year old.

"Mommy, I'm awake. Are you awake or asleep? Pick one."

I mumble, "Asleep," and feel his weight shift as he lays back down, his head nestled in the crook of my arm. His face is angled up toward mine, and his breath is still the sweet of the very young.

drowsy
adjective
1. Dull with sleepiness; sluggish.
2. Produced or characterized by sleepiness.
3. Inducing sleepiness; soporific.
"drowsy." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 27 May. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/drowsy

Tell me more, tell me more

Oftentimes, I come across a concept or derivation that leaves me wanting more. Much more. Like

chakba
noun
In Classical Mayan culture, chakba was self-decapitation.
"chakba." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2005. Answers.com 25 May. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/chakba

WHAT?!?! That's it? No mention of why? No explanation of the logistics? Nothing?!?!

leave hanging
Also leave hanging in the air or in midair
idiom
Keep undecided, uncertain, or in suspense.
"leave hanging." The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. Answers.com 25 May. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/leave-hanging

Orange... apple... peach... I have no idea

I'm in the produce section with the youngest, who is asking me, from his perch in the cart, the names of various fruits and vegetables. He says, "Right!" when he considers my answer correct. Apparently, I'm being tested, though I suspect he has no idea if some of my answers are right or not.

And now he's pointing at a... a... what on earth is that anyway? I'm stumped, and pick one up to look at the produce code sticker. I've never heard of this. It's something called a

pluot
registered trademark
A pluot is a fruit developed in the late 20th century by Floyd Zaiger. It is a complex cross hybrid of plum and apricot, being 3/4 plum and 1/4 apricot in parentage. Pluots are widely available in grocery stores, and are sometimes marketed as dinosaur eggs.

See also
Aprium
Peacotum
Plumcot

"pluot." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2005. Answers.com 24 May. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/pluot

He's 81, after all

My father. He's 81. Nearly 82. And sometimes he says things that don't seem to make any sense, and that flicker goes through my mind. Could he be going senile?

Today, I told him I had unexpectedly received $40 in gift cards from the grocery for pretty much just doing my basic shopping, and he chortled, "Egg in your beer!" And I thought, "What? What kind of fool malarkey is that?!?! Poor Daddy."

egg in your beer
idiom
A bonus, something for nothing. This expression dates from about 1940 and became widespread during World War II. The origin is unknown, since adding egg to beer does not improve the taste.
"egg in your beer." The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. Answers.com 22 May. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/egg-in-your-beer

Poor Daddy nothing.

what to do what to do

It has been a dream of mine to adopt an African child for years. I support a girl from Uganda though CCF, but that didn't get it out of my system, it only stokes the fire. I began reasearching the continent and the US's international adoption policies lately, because even though we won't be prepared to take in a child in the next year, I imagined the process could take years.
However, Liberia has a very fast process that can be completed in about 6 months. So I guess it doesn't take as long as I thought.

I wanted some feedback, especially from people who have kids about when to adopt.
Our baby is almost a year old, we plan to have the next baby 18 months apart from her in age. Would it seem wise to have the adopted child be
A) older than both of our kids
B) younger than both
C) in the middle, younger than one, older than the other

What do you think?

I'll be honest, I want to just put in the application right now, I'm overwhelmed by the number of:

Waiting Children
also are referred to as children with "special needs." The large majority of children adopted through state or county adoption agencies are considered waiting children. They come into the public welfare system (foster care) because of parental abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

Now that's realistic

I opened up the Sunday paper this morning to find the above picture advertising swimwear in a store circular. The lovely girl on the far right is supposed to represent "plus" sizes. Apparently she wasn't plus enough, because someone felt compelled to quite badly digitally alter her lower extremities to the point that she appears to be developing elephantiasis.

disproportionate
adjective
Out of proportion, as in size, shape, or amount.
"disproportionate." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 21 May. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/disproportionate