Where the heck have I been?

Life has taken a turn for the busier over the last few days. A roundup:

• WonderGirl had her last day at her old school last week, and is in half-day camp for the next two weeks before we head off on an actual vacation, at which point she will start Big School. Before that happens, we have forms to fill out, committees for which we must volunteer (must remember to blog about the whole public/private school decision), lunchboxes to purchase and regressive behaviors to tame.
• Rocco, bless his heart, has had yet another lovely mystery illness. He had three days of fever (which is, of course, not that big a deal when it's 120 degrees anyway outside), followed by a beautiful rash. Lots of little happy red dots, starting from his trunk and moving, inexorably, down his limbs. Now it's settled mostly on his face, but would only look truly dramatic if it was 120 degrees outside. Oops. Luckily he's happier again now, and has been fever-free for over a day, so he's back at daycare and I'm back at school for the first time this week.
  
• The fact that I haven't been able to work is okay, because I just got word yesterday that my paper was accepted! Although I'm thrilled to know that I've made a contribution that is worthy of publication and that hopefully will make a difference somewhere in the world, I have to admit that my first emotion was simply relief. Not that it was accepted, but that this meant that none of my advisors could ask for any more changes. Stop the merry-go-round, I'm officially getting off!
  
• DT's mom flew in this weekend, making both WonderGirl and Rocco officially Very Very Happy. She's the consummate grandmother - always has time and energy to play, and always sticks up for the kids vs. the parents. She'll be here for a few weeks (I think I mentioned her mini-colonizations on an earlier post) and it should be fun. I do sometimes feel a bit invisible when she's here, as I don't think she knows exactly how to fit me into her worldview. DT thinks I'm exaggerating, but last night, as we were all looking at the pictures we've taken of the kids since her last visit, she came to a picture of WonderGirl and me at the park and said, "Now, who is that lady?" We thought she was kidding. She was not. I'm actually happy, because now DT can never claim that I'm imagining things. Either that, or she really needs to go ahead and get that cataract surgery sooner rather than later.
• Our nephew is coming to visit for several days, starting this weekend. We're excited and trepidatious at the same time - we don't really know how to entertain a 13-year-old boy, and neither DT's sister nor his mom are giving us lots of clues as to his care and feeding. It'll either work out nicely, or he will vow never to visit That Boring Family Down South again. Hopefully the former.
• Rocco's birthday party is this weekend, and we just realized last night that we haven't planned at all. Not that he needs much, but with the way my mind is going right now, I would have been surprised when the guests showed up at the door, and potentially would have just spread Cheerios around the floor and hoped everyone had fun. Which is not, actually, a bad idea...