Dang--Where Was I Going?...

God Lord but its been awhile! My apologies.

Since the last time I wrote a whole lot has happened--namely, Donovan was accepted into the Pittsburgh Montessori PreK Program. That is the only magnet Pre-K program in all of the Pittsburgh School District.

Now that I'm typing this, I'm wondering if I've blogged about it already or just told so many people that it seems like everyone should know. In case I'm repeating myself here I'll just touch on the major points 1) its an excellent program 2) in a beautiful old school building 3) in a lovely neighborhood near Sheryl's restaurant and down the street from Mike's store, plus 4) ITS FREE!!! Oh, Be Joyful, its FREE. Come September I will stop writing a check for EXACTLY HALF OF MY TAKE HOME PAY to Waldorf. Don't get me wrong, Waldorf. We love you, we really, really do. But honestly, what do you expect? We've got bills to pay, honey, its not you, its us.

So Donovan starts Montessori in September and finishes his first phase of (also free) occupational and speech therapy come his birthday in April. The next phase will just be speech therapy and will continue over the summer and into his schooltime.

He's talking really well, tho still not really making conversation. He is making jokes, however. I've been trying to teach him to say "Yes, Mother Dear" but he will only reply, "NO Mother DEEEEEEAAAAR!" The bolding of that word was to imply that he shrieks it very high and shrill. May not sound funny but his timing is pretty sharp.

I personally have some schemes that I'm scheming that, if luck is on my side, may lead to some nice changes. Sorry to be so cagey but its a little early to give too many details--and, no, its not another kid so you can dispense with that theory. Unless perhaps you'd like to have the Gestational Diabetes for me. Then we can talk. ANYhow, one thing I will divulge is that 2010 is the year of trying to live Frugally. Or Downshifting. Or Voluntary Simplicity. Or whatever you want to call it. I'm trying to figure out how to get more out of life, cut down on stress and not spend as much money as stupidly as I've been known to do in the past. With the exception of last night when the premenstrual craving for a buffalo chicken pizza proved too strong, I've been doing well. Mike's in all this with me but he's already very frugal so he's being supportive and I'm being radical. Kind of like I'm Emma Goldman and he's Alexander Berkman. Sort of.

Speaking of anarchist farming collectives, here are some photos of the kid playing with The Funny Farm, a belated but now beloved Christmas gift from his Aunt Shirley and Uncle Becky"a/>