I'm gonna scream

Today it was 40 degrees.  My daughter who sulks when I ask her to wear an extra thin hoody over her short-sleeved tee  in 20 degree weather asked for one of those "puffy winter coats" saying they look so warm. I'm  like, "I'm gonna scream!

Clearly she is influenced by trends, but I wanted to delve more. It turns out she resisted layers in the morning because, as she said, "the rooms were like different temperatures." I'm like, "But the coat is for outside." Apparently she goes to school with whatever layers she wears outside and keeps them on inside. Um, that's why they're like, called layers? So you can add or remove them??

I do know it's what she did in China, we all did. South of the Yellow River there is no central heating in public buildings, so you wear your winter coats inside. But, like, y'know, technically she's not in China any more?  And our schools do have central heating? (And, no, I'm not a valley girl, just felt like sounding like one today.)

Nouveau Pauvre

I thought I'd coined it, but of course I hadn't. Can't be a lot of things out there that haven't been coined yet. You've heard of Urban Dictionary.com? Like Wikipedia, it is constantly being edited and updated, but usually by juveniles. Caution: you may not want to go there if you have a maturity level above the age of 12. It's a convenient place to find out what your 12 year-olds are talking about when they say "This chote came up and tried to pick a fight."(Again, caution.)

Eloquent art piece--don't miss

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Mother, May I?

Meeting your adopted child for the first time isn't always love at first sight. It can be. Some families immediately fit like a glove. Other times the bonding comes in fits and starts. The funny thing about bonding with your adopted child--surprisingly, is that intentional bonding often works. Force your stiff face into a smile. She smiles back. Your heart melts just a wee bit. You both take a step towards each other. Kind of like a drawn out game of Mother, May I. One step forward, two steps back.