“She’s got to feed the monkey,” says The Dude. “I mean uh… hasn’t that ever occurred to you, man? Sir?”

Last year, after a book release and a loooong house remodel, I felt overwhelmed and blogging began to feel like a relentless need to feed the monkey. Finally, life is settling down a bit, and I’m back. Hoping to get back in the loop, connect, and share what’s happening in this life.

The Big Lewbowski’s Stranger says at the end of the film, “The Dude abides. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there. The Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners.” It’s good knowing you’re out there, too.

Take ‘er easy… Talk to you soon.

Many good things have happened over the last months, and I’ll post some new links shortly. But I’m especially excited that this week, the blog post I wrote for Seal Press is up at the website for the Today Show, along with two essays from The Maternal Is Political: those by our first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the incredible, late Benazir Bhutto. (Thank you, Eva, at Seal!) Come check it out!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27054708/

Eugenia: What about SpongeBob?

Will: What about Plankton?

Me: Well, yeah. I’ll always love SpongeBob. And Plankton makes me laugh more than just about anyone.

Will: Does that mean you’re going to marry him?

Me: No. I already married the person I want to marry.

Macky: Mama, why did you marry Papa?

Me: Because he was sweet and funny and smart and handsome and he treated me really well, and he’s my best friend in the world. And I liked being with him more than anybody.

(Dirty looks from all three kids.)

Me: That’s before I met all of you. Now, I like being with all of you, more than anybody.

Macky: Do you like him more than meeeee?

Me: I already said: I like all of you.

(Pause.)

Macky (sounding kind of disgusted): Just say “No.”

UPDATE: I’m not terribly experienced at speaking to groups. But I don’t feel nervous, because I know I will never be as bad as this:

In other news, the remodel is a-happening, and we’re in hell. If you ever consider working, going to school, remodeling your house (and moving out while the remodel happens), and parenting simultaneously . . . just . . . don’t. Seriously. The good news is, the house is now getting bigger instead of smaller. Here’s a link to the beauteousness that is our future home, complete with audio commentary by the three smallest crazy people in our family, courtesy my sexy photo/audio nerd/artist husband:

http://strongphotography.com/misc/remodel/vids/FootLapseSmallSV.mov

P.S. Praying for (meditating for? holding our breath for?) Sheetrock is what we’re more or less doing (sheetrocking starts next week) but also the title of a book I haven’t yet read, by a woman (Melissa Fay Greene) whose book about orphans and motherhood and Ethiopia (There Is No Me Without You) I am reading and loving (and crying over) right now. (Thank you, Jennifer!) Go out and buy it, immediately! I command thee! Okay, I don’t really command anybody, anything. But I do highly recommend it!

P.P.S. Did I mention that Stephanie found Chocobacon!?

But now, things are looking up. The framing is done. The skeleton is there, and I can tell, as much anguish as we’ve gone (and still are going) through, that it’s going to be beautiful. Makes living out of boxes and living in complete chaos for months at a time all worth it (she said through gritted teeth). Now, I just need to figure out how to get this little item (below) squeezed into the budget. Craig and I simply must have it in our new master bath, don’t you agree?

And in the “I Have Been Put in My Place” Department: Last night, Macky and I were talking about where he would be going to school for kindergarten next year: his Montessori preschool, or the public school. He kept going back and forth — choosing one, then the other — before finally giving up.

Macky: Mama, you can think about it and decide.

Me: You don’t want to decide?

Macky: No. YOU decide.

Me (nodding in understanding, sounding patient and wise): It’s hard to decide things sometimes, isn’t it? Because there are good things in both places. In Miss Stephanie’s room, you have your friend Logan. And at Alameda, there’s the bus, and your sister, and it’s something new. And–

Macky: No, Mama. I said that YOU can think about it. (Pause.) In your head. (Pause.) WITHOUT TALKING.

BTW: I’m nearing the end of my Zen contract. Only a couple more columns to go! Catch it now, while you can!

I felt deeply moved by the Obama “Yes, We Can” video:

Then Maria Shriver’s speech left me . . . well . . . speechless:

Makes me feel as inspired as if I was living in the 60s!

But this “if McCain gets elected” response to the “Yes, We Can” video utterly undid me:

Wowza.

Well, um. Yes. It took all my self control not to say, “YOU ARE!” Eugenia is seven-going-on-fourteen. I am, apparently, forty-going-on-three.

In any case, the other night I was trying to get the kids inside and ready for dinner, and she kept arguing with me about every little thing. Finally, in exasperation, I said, “Eugenia, come ON. I don’t want to argue about this. Why do you have to make everything so hard?”

Eug glared at me. “I don’t have to make everything so hard,” she told me, sounding dumbfounded that I was idiotic enough to miss the obvious. “I choose to make everything so hard.”

Ah, well. Just so we’re clear.

(It took all my self-control not to die laughing.)

Is that kid awesome, or what?! Drives me a little crazy at times, but lordy, how I love her strength!