Random ramblings

Last night, the imp did something he's never done before.  Since he and the pixie had been fighting non-stop since both woke up from their naps, so I was doing separate baths, pixie first.  The imp came wandering into the bathroom to wait his turn, singing.  He doesn't sing--when asked if he wants to sing along with something, he says, "No.  I don't.  I too little."  So, last night, when he wandered in repeating the first line of "Baa Baa Black Sheep," I was a little excited. 

I was less excited when he requested, then sang along with "Little Bunny Foo Foo," complete with hand motions, instead of snuggling down to sleep (though it was funny). 

The pixie has decided on a battle cry: "Neverrr!!!!"  Imagine cartoon heroine shouting that at a villain, and you have a vague idea of her pronunciation.  Now, keep in mind that she's two, and you might have a vague idea of how cute it is. 

I think I've mentioned before here that I knit.  I've made a few of my own sweaters when I couldn't find any in colors or styles that I liked.  My current project is a little dress for the pixie.  I've held it up against her to check sizing and length, and she loves it.  Keeps begging me "Put it on?  P'ease?"  I should have it finished sometime this morning.  I'll post pictures probably later today.

Have I ever mentioned that Cricket (the black and white cat) drools?  I mean drools.  When she's in my lap, and I'm petting her, he chin isn't just damp--she drips.  Big drips of kitty drool.  She's left single-drip puddles on the corner of my laptop the size of a dime.  If she gets one of the kids loving on her and they accidentally blow in her ear and get her to shake her head, it gets nasty.  But the cat's so darn sweet, and such an excellent mouser (both are--we've gone from a major infestation to the only sign we have any being remains in the litter box), that it just doesn't matter other than the kind of gross and funny factor.  Because that cat doesn't drool when Odysseus pets her.  Just for me and the kids. 

I feel so special.

Shadow has found an interesting sleeping spot: in a basket under the kids' coats.  As in, the coats are already in the basket, and the cat burrows her way beneath them to sleep.  She lives up to her name--I can go most of a day without being able to find her.  I suppose that's what we deserve for adopting a sort-of black cat (she's a very dark reddish brown with darker stripes in strong light).

The pup has started pulling a Snoopy.  When we put her out in her pen with her dog house, she spends a lot of time she's not running laps sitting or lying on top of her dog house, either sleeping or watching (and smelling) the world go by. 

I've been having issues with the campus email and with the class platform.  Sometimes my email doesn't let me sign in, others, it doesn't let me reply to emails, and I can't get it to download any student work emailed to me.  I've given up and told my students to use my personal email.

The class platform just isn't letting me download the student work from the gradebook.  Which means I can't grade their work.

I wonder, sometimes, how the hell they expect us to do our jobs with function like this. 

Current book is...stalled.  I've been working on revising Pendragon, and I've got a side-story idea for Lost Girls that's not letting me work on the book.  I'll get that out this week, and post it to the other blog as soon as I'm happy with a draft.  I'll let y'all know when it's posted.