Friyay + Links

Yay! It's Friday. I reported to jury duty yesterday and was excited to see how the process worked: I might have been a teensy bit hopeful to sit on a case. But then, I was dismissed by 10:30 AM, not because of my questionnaire but because the second case they needed to fill that day was pushed back and half of us were allowed to leave by process of completely random elimination. Oh well. At least I've fulfilled my civic duty for six years.

I spent the remainder of the unexpectedly free day strolling through Target at a snail's pace, taking the time to stop and assess nursing bras, browse the baby aisles and watch lots of anxious eighteen-year-olds and their parents stock up for college dorm rooms. I was secretly eager to offer advice ("No, you don't need those twelve decorative hand towels, yes you definitely need that extra under-the-bed bin storage!"), but mostly, I smiled to myself remembering that time in my own life. After Target, I briefly ventured into Babies R' Us before retiring to Barnes & Noble for a hot chocolate and a magazine.

Below, a few links I've bookmarked recently:

Pregnant or not, this is fascinating: The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I Am.

Video: How to Age Gracefully. Advice to someone one year younger. (Yeah, I cried).

I also cried while reading this piece: an essay finalist writing off the prompt "Home."

Missing my own spunky preschoolers after watching this documentary: The Secret Lives of Four-Year-Olds. (Note: I understand that it's easy to make snap judgements about some of the kids and their behaviors, but as someone who knows and appreciates the nuances of 4-year-olds, I think this documentary was well done. It speaks to another interesting point on labeling young kids as "bullies:" more often than not, they're in the throes of figuring it out and will turn out just fine with the right guidance and social interactions).

Hilarious: Guy annoys girlfriend with IKEA puns.

Here's to happy, relaxing, fulfilling weekends ahead. Hugs all-around.