Amen

On the wall in the guest bedroom of my grandmother's house there used to be a wooden plaque with a prayer. As a kid I memorized that prayer. I loved its rhyme and the images it conjured. It wasn't scary like Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep or formidable like the Lord's Prayer.

When my kids were little I used to sing it to them - conveniently enough it had the exact same tune of a popular Uncle Kracker song - and when they were old enough to say prayers, I would say a verse and they would repeat it.

But recently Abby started insisting on her own prayers. Just like my method she says a "verse" and I repeat it. Her prayers are typically sweet and weird and funny. Thanks to her, unicorns and rainbows and princesses go to bed each night fully blessed.

Last night after thanking God for her friends and brothers and the stars and flowers, she closed with "Keep the earth safe and keep my doors closed. Amen."

Adore

It's been 10 months since Abby cut her own hair. Just this month it was finally shaggy enough to warrant a haircut.

I have to admit I never thought it would take this long to grow out, but it's also hard to believe it's been 10 months.

I'll try not to be too proud - look where it got me last time - but I do think she's awful cute.

Biology 101

You know those big, spindly, flittery mosquitoes that seem to come around this time of year? Well Sam has been calling them "ash mosquitoes." All because of me. The other day as I was shushing one away I accidentally called them "big ass mosquitoes" and when he called me on it I told him they are called ash mosquitoes.

Probably a close relative of scary ash spiders and creepy ash cockroaches.