the home front

I don't know how to post pictures here.

Which is good because I don't usually remember to take pictures.

And, until my mom took over the housekeeping today, the house was a disaster.  And the dogs were really hungry.  And yesterday, I got Max all the way to Mass before I realized he was barefoot.

All of this is to say that we really miss the feminine genius around here.  Not just "things being clean," but we miss the ordered, civilizing effect wives have on their homes.  All by ourselves, Max and I are reduced to a kind of frat-house existence.

I'm grateful my mom is here, and she's bringing order for us.

But Max and I are pretty dependent on Kate and Pia for a lot.  Practical things, sure.  But mostly, we depend on Kate and Pia for the kind of easy, comfortable communion that makes our family and home life enjoyable.  And we really miss them.  But we're getting along ok.  I'm taking the mollifying approach to parenting that dads seem to take when mom is away.  But since mom will be mostly away for the next six months, I'd probably better learn to feed Max something other than cookies and applesauce.