I pledge allegiance, to the Elmo

I am back from a four day work trip. Bjorn was gone for 36 hours of it so the big kids were in charge of the little kids. I must say, I am quite impressed with how they held up. Meg was still getting over a sinus infection and had a bad cough that made her vomit occasionally while Andy managed to contract diarrhea just for sport. The meeting itself was so busy that I didn't have too much time to worry about everyone. Fortunately, Mark and Jennifer did a great job.

We did manage to swing through this cool Muir Woods natural forest on our way to Napa. Look at me holding up that big tree! I am very cool. In part due to Facebook, I have reconnected with a ton of friends who live in the San Francisco area. Unfortunately, I only got to see Bjorn's brother and his family. For all of an hour. On my way to the airport.

Bjorn picked me up at nearly 1 a.m. last night. It was so great to be in my own bed and see the kids. In tucking Andy in, I noticed he had used a dry erase marker to create an enormous mural all over his wall under his loft bed and all over his bed. Good times. Fortunately Miss Ayesha gave me a magic eraser and it really did work. On the wood. The walls are still a mess. Nail polish worked a little and I hear rubbing alcohol works a little better.

Andy missed me altough his main interest was what I brought him. Fortunately I picked up a frog night light from Muir Woods on our way out of the city so I had something other than a shower cap and mints to give him. Meg just cared that Elmo existed. Practically every sixth word is Elmo and if Elmo is on anything or even on her mind, it drives her wild and she's all distracted. If Elmo is her his boyfriend, I am totally screwed when she turns 12 and is actually interested in boys.