October 18th, 2012

Elliot asked me what sex was, the other day.  I would tell you the story of how it came up, because that story is hilarious, but I don't want to inadvertently embarrass anyone who might or might not be a central character in that story, so I won't.  Suffice it to say that it revolved around a joke someone made, a birthday cake I made BECAUSE of the joke, and my son's naturally inquisitive nature.

'Nuff said.

Anyway, we're tooling along in the car, and having this conversation.

"But, Mommy, what's sex?"
"Sex is..."  I pause.  This question can be fraught.  After all, I don't want him getting the idea that there's anything wrong with sex, but neither do I want him asking his fellow preschoolers to engage in it.  Hmmm...  "Sex is when adults play with each other's jimmies."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"Why do they play with each other's jimmies?"
"Because they want to.  You know how sometimes you play with your penis?"
"Yeah."
"Well, when you're an adult, you might want someone else to do it."
In the rear view mirror I see my son give me a horror filled look.
"No, Mama.  I will NEVER want anyone to do that."
"Okay, buddy.  That's okay, too.  You don't ever HAVE to do it."
"Well I WON'T."

****

"I'm all alone, there's no one here beside me.  My problems have all gone, there's no one to deride me!"

I used to think that song was sad.  I was wrong.  That song is a grateful mother's anthem of joy, when her kids are finally distracted.

****

It's been a while since the last one of these.  Part of that is because I've been really busy.  The holidays are coming, and I always feel compelled to make gifts for people, which generally means that from August onward I'm going a little nuts.  Also, this fall I'm finally doing another show.  That's a whole other story (which I'll tell in a minute) but rehearsals are taking up a lot of my time.

But most of the reason you aren't getting updates from me is that I've been mentally forting up.  I don't have a lot to say, or thoughts I want to share with the great wide world, so I've been keeping them to myself.  Maybe this will pass.  HOPEFULLY this will pass.  In the meantime, if any of you feel out of touch, you can always tell me what YOU are doing.  It is relevant to my interests.

****

I'm doing Sunset Boulevard.  Everyone who knows the show, cue groans now.  Everyone who doesn't know the show, feel free to go ahead and groan anyway.  Sunset Boulevard is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hardest musical pieces, coupled with non-sympathetic characters, and a really slow plot.  So why am I doing it?  Well, because it had been five years since my last show.  And that's a long time.  So, there you go.

So, anyway, it's been kinda good, and kinda bad.  I'm meeting lots of new people, at least some of whom are nice, and that's great.  Plus, it's fun performing again.  On the other hand, it's a VERY insular group, and the Director is kind of a dictator.  So I'm doing my best to be a good little minion, hoping to win him over.  I have no idea if it's working.  We'll see.

Anyway, part of doing the show is helping with the set (which is fine by me) and helping with the fundraising, which is making me twitch.  If any of you just happen to want to donate to a theater, please, do feel free, but otherwise don't sweat it.  Sometime later this week I have to go drive around to bunch of local businesses and try to get ads for the back of the program.  Sigh.  It means loading the kids in and out of the car a bunch of times, and trying to make a pitch while simultaneously keeping the kids out of the stuff.

Grrr...

****

Blah.  I'm out of things to talk about and the kids have a pile of eight million books they want me to read.  Maybe next time I'll be in better form?  Cross your fingers.