5:08am, Easter Sunday morning

I awoke around 3:20 in a slight sweat. After laying in the dark for half an hour, I realized that my insomnia might be due to needing to pee. I got up, padded to the toilet slightly chilly with the clammy sweat, then returned to bed. Another 20 minutes pass, and still not sleepy at all...

I got up to read, and as usual, first pulled my computer into my lap. I am quite comfortable all snuggly under the blanket, on the couch, in my robe, laptop in hand...

And decided to check M's blog, written in her native French, from China. And for the first time, I figured out Google Translate! I often test my French abilities, and can usually get about 40-50% of the gist of what she's writing. And now, it's about 99%. So, in honor of her honest self-reportage blog style, I decided to do the same, here, now.

I can hear a lovely happy bird song, and a few drips of rain falling from the window casing to the exterior window sill. And occasionally the sound of a car passing through the soggy intersection outside below.

I'm not sure why I now constantly have bouts of insomnia. I think it may be related to my monthly hormonal shifts. I'm a few days out from the end of this three week ring cycle... an

d am quite bummed that my period will be aligned with P's big book launch party. I intend to not let it get in the way, nor bog me down. I just don't want to feel bloated and chubby this week, and most certainly, not on Friday.

My dear mother-in-law arrives Wednesday morning. She's coming out to help, and to be here for his party. She'll be staying with us, a real treat, since she usually comes out with P's dad, and they stay in a hotel. I look forward to waking up and her being here every morning for 5 days!

And oh yes, it's Easter. Our only tradition has become, going to J&N's to color eggs. Its fun to be creative collectively. And this is the first Easter for lil Addie. Unfortunately, their parenting style has become a bit of a bummer, their daughter is so spoiled for anyone's arms but theirs. I oh so hope she becomes more well-adjusted as she gets older. N justifies her spoiling by saying that she knows her daughter, and is doing what is best (she still sleeps with them every night, my friend M would be simply aghast!). I had to hold my tongue when N confessed that their pediatrician told her that it was simply wrong that Addie wasn't sleeping through the night, that she needs to be put in her crib and left there to self-soothe, then sleep through the night. N is drunk on mother-love and doesn't know it. What, as a friend, am I to do? Not a thing. Let them figure it out. And for while, keep a safe distance. I'm sure (I hope) in years, it'll be a distant memory and Addie will assert herself, and make her own space. We can only hope...

In honor of Easter, I've included an egg P colored in '09. The other side reads, "Jesus Fucking Christ"