Thursday
July 23, 1998

This has been an amazing week, having Daughter #2 staying with me.

It has helped me remember all the stuff I love about being a mom ... the fun, the closeness, the affection ... the shared genetic predisposition toward procrastinating, apology and exaggeration ("SecraTerri and PepperGrl5 are really sorry we haven't answered our BAZILLIONS & BAZILLIONS of unanswered e-mails.  We'll do it tomorrow, OK?? ) ...

... but even more importantly, it has made the stuff I used to NOT-love about being a mom seem ... sorta insignificant. (So what if *Mom* emerges from the shower at 5:15 a.m. and there are no clean and/or dry towels in the entire apartment? So what if *we* managed to consume $152.86 worth of groceries in less than two and a half days? So what if *we* are forced to endure something called "Master P Ghetto D" in more-or-less constant rotation on the apartment box o' boom ... ?)

The important thing is ... she's here. Yay.

The BAD NEWS is ... she leaves tomorrow. 

Shit.