I've had a very relaxing weekend... it was necessary, for me and for the kid. She's been stuffy and sneezy since before Christmas (and the sneeziness wasn't improved by our stay at Casa del Cat over the holidays), and I finally submitted and took her to the pediatrician. Our beloved Dr. O found that the child had a double ear infection, and general malaise. Mom of the year, right here. She wasn't running a fever, and she didn't complain, so it never occurred to me that the snot might have migrated to her ears. Ah, well-- she's on antibiotics (again), and a couple of days of rest have restored her to her former self. With occasional symphonic sneezes. Now, she's playing an elaborate game with her stuffed animals-- some are bad guys, and are being jailed in her play kitchen, specifically in the stove. She's tossed whole families of animals into her "jail" for crimes as vague as, "Umm... they were going to steal some of my stuff." Now, the jail is morphing into a more desirable place to be-- the animals are lining up to leap into the stove. Wait-- no-- now it's a bathroom. All the "kids" have to go potty. It's hard to keep up. I love to listen to her play, especially when she's not aware I'm listening. It's fascinating, and endlessly entertaining. I get a pretty good sense of what she hears at school, and I also get a reflection of how I speak to her. Usually, I'm pretty happy with it. Sometimes, I cringe, and make mental notes to stop using a specific phrase or tone. Okay. I have three loads of laundry to fold, and another load in the dryer. Relaxation time is over. Back to work.