More proof of my maternal unworthiness.

Kids ask lots of questions. Sometimes it gets tiring, even annoying. Sometimes I make up the answers.

One of Isaac's favorite questions to ask is what things do. For example, yesterday we were driving to mom's house, and he said, "Mom, what do cars do?" I know that he means "How does a car work, who invented cars, what makes them move, why do we have to put gas in them, etc etc etc". So I make up a story about how internal combustion engines work and usually try to throw in some kind of moral to the story, like how hybrid cars are better for the environment and cheaper in the long run.

At some point, probably long ago, Isaac asked me what moths "do". When he wasn't satisfied with my answer of "Eat, sleep and poop", he said, "No, mom, what do they DO?"

Apparently, I then said, "They suck out your brains." This had to be more than a year ago, and he didn't mention it until last night.

We were walking out of my parents' house, it was dark, and there were moths flying around the porch light. He started running and screaming. I said, "What the heck, Isaac, what's wrong?" (Side note: Is it ok to say "What the heck" to a kid?) He said, "They are going to suck out my brain!!!" It took me fifteen minutes in the car to calm him down enough so we could drive home. When we got home, we googled "moth" and I showed him that moths don't suck people's brains out. But I couldn't resist saying, "The kind of moths that suck people's brains out only live in central North America."

"Mom, do we live close to central North America?"

I'm back...with a new wireless DSL router!

Lots to report, so here's a convenient numbered list.

1. I am officially the worst mom in the world. I dropped Isaac off at school this morning, all the while saying to myself "Katie you have to remember that today is early release, that means he gets out at 2:40, so be here early." Well, at 2:53, there I was unpacking a box of plates, when the phone rang. I answered, and it was the school secretary (also a friend of mine) who said, "Hello, is this Katie, the mother of the year?" Poor Isaac was sitting in the hallway waiting for me. Aughhh!

2. I have avoided my usually Halloween candy binge this year, probably because I've been so busy cleaning, unpacking and basically trying not to lose my own head in the mess that is my house. I did buy a bag of Willy Wonka's mixed candy today - all the greats: Sweetarts, Runts, Laffy Taffy, Bottlecaps and Nerds, in small single serving packages. Halloween is great.

3. I still like our house. At the closing, the seller Mr. Zellmer signed everything and then told us that he had installed a new furnace. Everyone in the room - the realtor, the mortgage officer, the title company official - was speechless. We had already signed all the papers three weeks prior that said we would buy the house as is, and Mr. Zellmer went and spent a few thousand dollars to replace the furnace out of the kindness of his heart. It gave me hope for the human race.

4. Mr. Zellmer also gave us three lawn mowers (the yard is tiny but he says three lawn mowers were necessary), a snow blower, two vacuums and a carpet steamer, a dresser, a bed, a rad vintage sofa (I have started calling it the "davenport"), four lazy boys, a desk, a table and chairs, two chest freezers, a refrigerator and a stove. Seriously.

5. Isaac has bronchitis and some kind of stomach bug. He has to use an inhaler and he is on amoxicillin. (Does anyone elses children turn into demon spawn when they are on amoxicillin?)

6. My brother came back safely from China. He really wants to move there now. I hope he does, cuz then I'll get to visit him.

7. My grandpa walks his dog, Chips, down in front of my house every morning. He stands there and talks to me and doesn't notice that Chips is pooping on my lawn. I feel bad to mention it, so I come out later with a baggie and clean up. Ewww.

8. I can't believe that last year at this time I was in Comilla. They ran a picture in the local paper of John Kerry campaigning in Milwaukee - he was standing in front of some beautiful autumn leaves - and I remember feeling so homesick! It's good to be here, George W. and all.

Brief Hiatus

Last post from Minnesota!

Since my DSL will be cut off momentarily and I'll be consumed with unpacking for the next few days (weeks, years?), my next post may be delayed.



Masud is here for the weekend. Most of everything we own is crammed into our living room and kitchen, since I'm trying to have the rest of the house nice and clean before we leave. It's causing some familial strife, and reminds me of that Sex and the City episode where Aiden has moved all of his boxes into Carrie's apartment and they have a fight about it. During a particularily tense spousal conversation, Masud said, "There is just too much stuff to deal with in this family!" I wasn't sure if he was talking about material posessions or emotional baggage, or both. Whatever he meant, I know we are both looking forward to having a normal life and living together as a family again someday soon.

In other news, my brother made is safely to the other side of the world, and is enjoying a good time with his girlfriend. When I asked him how China was, he said "There are a lot of Chinese people here." Sigh.

And, of course since I am busy for the first time in months, I just now happened to find a great book to read - one of those that I have to force myself to put down so that I can finish doing important things. Although I'm usually skeptical of Oprah's book club selections, I had to pick up "A Million Tiny Pieces" by James Frey. Let me tell you, it's a doozey. It's an autobiographical account of his experiences in rehab. I won't reveal too much, but there is a part where he has to get a double root canal, and since he's in rehab, he can't have ANY ANESTHESIA. Not even one little shot. I almost threw up when I read it.

Well, back to staring helplessly at piles of junk and eating kitkats to sustain myself.

Do you care about my pictures?

Check out Isaac's new hairstyle! He is SO RAD!

Rob used to have a natural mohawk - no gel needed. Mom called it his "rooster". Rob is supposed to be flying to China tomorrow - if the UPS guy came with his visa and passport today, that is.

This is a picture of the house we are trying to buy. October 17 is a possible closing date. I've got my fingers crossed!

This is the two-car garage that comes with our house. The part on the left converts into a screened-in patio in the summer. Rad.

This weekend was Princeton's Harvest Moon Festival. The drama group from Montello High School did a "living statues" thing to raise money. They stood still until somebody put money in their little buckets, and then they would move around. This dude actually made his own armor. He's rad.

Page was the Tin Man. Those pants are not flattering.

A conversation.

Isaac: Mom, will you spike up my hair into a mohawk today?
Me: Sure, dude! That will be rad! What do you think your friends at school will say?
Isaac: They will say, "What happened to your hair?"
Me: What will you say?
Isaac: I'm RAD!
Me: What if they don't know what RAD means?
Isaac: I'll have to 'splain it to them. It means I'm a cool dude.


Rock on, Isaac. Rock on.

Another day, another box.

As moving day (theoretically) gets closer, I spent the day packing and stacking boxes. Masud's little Subaru has a surprising amount of space in it, so all the boxes I spent last week packing up have been carted off to Wisconsin already. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon, so I got busy and made a new pile. It seems like I've made some headway, although I am still intimidated by the mountains of things that I own. I am going home this week because I have an interview - a real one for a real job that I really want - on Thursday. I'm incredibly nervous. Being rejected for the flunky jobs is not bad, but not getting the job I went to school in hopes of getting, that would be a blow. I'm kindof expecting that I WON'T get the job. They scheduled me at the very end of the day, so I'm the last interviewee. Do you think that means they are saving the best for last? I doubt it. But I bought a snazzy new outfit yesterday in hopes of winning them over with style. I'll let you know if it works.

My mother-in-law left on Saturday. She is now basking in the California sun with my brother in law Mithu. I do miss having her here at night - it gets a little bit spooky here, especially with the bright red neon cross that they light up on top of hte Lutheran Church. It shines this red glow through my bedroom windows and makes me think of Satan. Scary.

In other news, since our bank loan has been approved I can officially announce that we are buying a house. We found this adorable tiny place on Main Street in Montello. It's an old two bedroom with just enough space for the three of us. It has a rad little garage that turns into a screened in patio in the summer. If I can remember to take my camera when we go home, I'll try to post some pics. We are just waiting for the bank's appraiser to make sure it's not a dump, and we can move in. I am HOPING that it won't be any later than next week Monday. PLEASE GOD, I hate being in limbo. Geez, I'm such a complainer!

Egad! Time to run up to school and get Isaac. Where did the day go???