really long and probably dull entry.

I'm sitting here listening to a mind-numbingly boring Constitutional Law lecture remembering back to my Con Law class in law school. The professor instilled a deep fear in me. I hated that class with every fiber of my being. Everyone in that class remembers the moment when we found out the Professor was scary and mean. It was within the first 10 minutes of class when he walked in, didn't introduce himself, just started talking and started by calling on .... ME. Now, I sort of enjoy the banter between law students and professors that is called the Socratic Method. Lots of people hate it, but it caused me to be prepared for class (fear of humiliation), and I really do enjoy that sort of thinking on your feet while scared out of your mind.

But it was not fun with this guy. He never once smiled. Not once. And, he asked questions that I'm pretty sure you could not possibly get right. I've never been in a law school class where not one but TWO people who got called on sat there quietly, making no eye contact with the professor, saying nothing at all - as though they were hiding. He has a seating chart! He knows who you are! You can't just sit there quietly. And these two sat there for, I kid you not, at least 30 seconds in total silence. While he stared right at them, and they stared at their laptops. It was terribly uncomfortable. And then, not one to shy away from this sort of slap in the face, he called on each of them at least 3 more times during the term. This was years ago and I still get sick to my stomach thinking of hearing my name come out of his mouth.

But the bar/bri con law lecturer - wow. I hope (??) I have hit the low point of studying for this behemoth of an exam. For such an inherently interesting topic, I have had really bad luck with lecturers.

Yesterday we went to a first birthday party for Doug's college roommate's son. The family is Korean, and apparently first birthdays are a really big deal. We had an excellent meal at Woo Lae Oak (restaurant in Tyson's). At the end, they put the birthday boy on a mat and put different objects around him (money, a pencil, a golf ball, and some other things I can't remember). He went for the golf ball. Twice. I don't know what that means, I assume he has a life path of becoming the next Tiger Woods.

Elisabeth was SO good at the party. She had to sit on my lap for 2+ hours while we had this meal. She is really such a good kid. So well behaved - in tough circumstances. 2+ hours of sitting at a table with almost all adults, eating sushi and other foods that she hadn't ever seen before. I almost get weepy thinking of how good she was. Being proud of your kid is an amazing feeling. I'm particularly happy that she's willing to try new foods. I didn't even know what a lot of those things were. The only food she absolutely wouldn't eat was anything with fish or shrimp in it. I guess maybe there is a genetic component to that since Doug won't eat anything that comes from the sea (or lakes, or rivers) - except curiously, canned Tuna. And there's a rumor that he used to eat fish sticks.

Charlotte has had a rough few days. Apparently she thinks that she only needs one hour total of naps per day. I don't know what changed between Tuesday (when she needed approximately four hours of naps) and Wednesday. But I hope she reconsiders because she's royally grumpy with just one hour of naps, and I'm well past grumpy and on to moods requiring expletives to adequately describe. I'm hoping that this aberration in her normally good sleeping pattern is from teething, emerging new skill, and/or growth spurt (I blame these three things for all negative behavior from the age of 3 months all the way up until 3 years old and counting).

Oh, we DID have a milestone today! Elisabeth learned how to send email. She can find my name on Doug's google chat, then get to the "mail" button, type her name (or Mommy or Daddy), and hit send. She already knows how to launch a web browser and get to google mail, so really she can do the complete loop. Doug has stuff set up on his computer so that she knows how to turn it on, launch a web browser and get to either NickJr.com, sesamestreet.org, or google mail. She can navigate to her games on the first two sites, and to emails her Gram has sent her on google mail (emails with links to puzzles or e-cards). I think she also knows how to launch the picture viewer. And, well, last week she figured out how to print. one of her Nick Jr. games has a way to make silly looking monsters. Then in the upper right hand corner, there's a picture of a printer. She apparently hit that button, jumped down from the table, went to the library/playroom and grabbed the printout, came back, held it up to the screen and said "look daddy - it matches!" We're thinking of loaning her to our neighbors to teach them how to use their computers.

For those of you keeping track - 30 more days until bar exam!