random ramblings

I am about ready to boot the boy-child out the door to play outside.  I am right at the end of my patience with him for the running around, somersaulting into the door to his room, and the doors to his closet.

Right now, all is decently quiet: he's playing happily with blocks in the corner behind the front door (the only bit of non-carpeted floor in the living room).  The pixie came out of his room a bit ago, and asked him if she could play with his trash truck*--he told her "Yes, as long as you close the door before you push the buttons.  Mama doesn't like the noisy toys."

The pixie will be turning three years old on Wednesday.  Three.  It's shocking how fast that happens.

So, I'm pretty sure she's all the way daytime potty trained.  She's taking herself to the bathroom, when she needs to, and doing both number one and number two in the potty chair.  Next step will be transitioning her to the toilet, so that I don't have to clean poo out of the potty chair.

She came up with something pretty cute, last week.  She suddenly started having issues with bubble bath, and got resistant to using the potty.  She told me that it hurt.  I could get her to go, but she'd cry the whole time, and cling to my arm.  I kept telling her that she needed to let all of the pee come out, or she'd get sick.  After a couple of times of that, she told me "My pee tank is empty!"

I just about lost it.  And it has moved into the common vocabulary for both kids.  And the imp added "poop tank" to "pee tank."

I figure, what the hell.  It's accurate enough.  And it's cute.

The dog went from sad dog last week to very happy dog this week: last week, we had rain every day, at least a little bit, then some sleet when the highs dropped into the twenties.  She didn't get a chance to go play outside.  This week, on the other hand, has been pretty nice, and she got to spend a few hours outside most days...and all day, Thursday, yesterday, and probably today, at least.

The cats...are cats.  They're crazy, playful, affectionate, and funny.  Cricket drools like a moron when I pet her, and Shadow tries to drink my tea**--normal behavior, for these two.

I had one class day last week, and I have three next week.  And then, I'm totally finished for the semester--I'll grade the last few things a week from today, and turn in grades immediately following.

And then, I need to revise my textbooks--again--for next semester.

I'm almost finished with Resurgent.  What do y'all like better for a title, Camelot Resurgent or Pendragon Resurgent?

After that, I have a children's book to write, by request.  Would anyone else be interested in a story about how a toy horse comes to life for their kids/grandkids?  If so, I might well publish it.

Last, but not least, the last sample chapter of Highway to Tartarus will be showing up today, around noon.  If you like the samples, by all means--the Kindle version is all of $2.99.  I get around $2 of that. 

*The trash truck is a new toy, a reward for being an incredibly good boy about not messing with his door handle after Mommy unlatched it so that it will work from inside the back seat.

**Shadow has a sweet tooth.  My herbal teas are often sweetened with honey--which she likes--or honey whiskey--which she likes even better.  Best of all?  When I'm drinking catnip tea with honey whiskey.  I've had to start using a covered travel mug when I drink that.