Self portrait + Susan, by Alex

DC pictures, courtesy of Aunt Susan

The real R2D2 and C-3P0, at the Air & Space Museum, in an exhibit called American Treasures or something like that. They also had Lincoln's top hat, Mary Todd Lincoln's ball gown, Sandra Day O'Connor's robe, the signpost from M*A*S*H, and Jerry Seinfeld's "puffy shirt". There were other random things, too, that kind of made you think "treasure? really?"

Molly with Grandpa on the Mall. If she looks vaguely unhappy, it's because she isn't running at full tilt down the Mall...

The stroller was useful for carrying bags, jackets, and umbrellas. I noticed many, many strollers out in D.C. which contained toddlers. Must ask them where they got theirs.

With Aunt Susan. This is a display in front of the National Museum of Art which to me looks kind of ripped off of the Louvre, but what do I know from art. If you look down into the pyramids, you can see folks in the cafeteria. The cafeteria at that museum will set you back a bit, but the food options are great. Highly recommended over the new and also overpriced fast food available in the Air and Space Museum's food court.

IS THERE FOUR???? NO, THERE IS TWO. That is sort of an inside joke.

Nah, no pictures

But I am having a change of job status, that I'll tell y'all all about now. My current job I like well enough, and isn't particularly difficult, and is flexible, but isn't really a dream lawyer job...hmmm...please forgive the oxymoron inherent in that sentence. I have kept my eyes open for other work for some time now to no avail. Anyway, the economics of the workers' comp business is so weird -- the amount of work and the number of cases one is handling bears no real relationship to the amount of money the business is making, because the cases that are making money are closing and were signed many months or years ago. Essentially the business is feast or famine. So, anyway, lately we're having a bit of a famine in our tiny little office, and it looks like if I continue to work there I would have to go a total of probably 10 to 12 weeks from my last paycheck to my next, all the while paying my nanny every week, at which point I could probably get mostly caught up to being a couple of weeks behind, at which point I would probably then wait again an indeterminate period of time to be paid. I have been behind before at work, but never more than a week or two. My boss was hoping that I'd be able to suck it up and hang around, she is confident that the long-term picture for the business is very good and I don't necessarily disagree, I just can't get through the next few months without another dime very easily. On a completely different note, we are following through with our plans to go to Italy at the beginning of May -- some things are worth going into debt for, like properly celebrating one's tenth anniversary.

So anyway, I have asked my boss to lay me off, at least temporarily. So I am working my last week next week and then will apply for unemployment, staying on her payroll and planning on going back when the next check comes in, if I don't have anything else by then. So, folks, if you're looking to hang out with a mom and a bonkers 18 month old kid, it looks like I might have some time.

Alex spends the night with Chelcy & Fred

Aunt Chelcy took pictures of Fred & Alex on Friday night....


And then again on Saturday morning.



I'm pretty sure Al crashed for at least an hour or two.
Sorry it took me a while to post these, Chel.

Molly's stats

Molly had her 18 month checkup today, she's a little over 24 lbs, in the 55% weight percentile, 65% head circumference percentile, and 70% percentile for height. We've never had a tall child before so the novelty is kind of neat. As is her wont, she did not exactly go with the flow for the evaluation and just stared blankly as the doctor asked her where her hair was and where her nose was. But she did demonstrate her ability to jump, holding on to me, which got the approving notice that it was a 2 year old skill and duly noted on her chart. When it came for vaccine time, the nurse pronounced her to have the strength of a kindergartner and suggested a little a red flag for her next visit. That's my kid, all brawn, no brains. (Just kidding, Moll.) And our neighbor Kirsten has a cute nickname for her: Mol-ecule.

On a completely unrelated note, now that March madness is in swing, I am going to keep a list of "Sports announcer English". Tonight's additions, and be advised I only watched 6 minutes of the NC State-Duke game: "trustable" and "paceability".