I may have bought myself a 6’ Christmas octopus. I may also consider it one of my greatest purchases. 16 was skeptical at 1st, says now says helps us assert holiday light dominance over the neighborhood. Have I mentioned our green tree is visible from airplanes if you land to the north at SeaTac?

Hey guess what everybody! It’s raining again! 🤪

New Children’s Book ‘Good Afternoon Moon’ Celebrates Seattle’s Painfully Early Sunsets: tinyurl.com/yrze7kp8

I’ve never been so grateful to have murderous cats.

Our county health department also released a helpful how-to guide about this. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🫠🤪😭

Name your favorite film quote. clip.cafe/youve-got-ma...

16: In health class we had to read an article about nicotine. Then we had to answer the question “what is the tasteless, odorless gas that gets in your lungs?” I said iocaine powder. (He HATES health class - finds it patronizing & full of misinformation. He has lots of great stories tho.)

I’m crushed by Rob Reiner’s passing tonight. I keep thinking about him in Sleepless in Seattle. So here, have a photo of my sleepy cat.

One of my kids appears to have a case of strep throat which has prompted another of my kids to research the chemical structure of amoxicillin and describe to me in detail how it is “constructed” and this is what it’s like living in my household.

ICE was arresting people at our local Home Depot store this morning and a guy who has done a lot of work for us over the last few years got taken while doing a supply run. He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen and just a super earnest guy. I’m so sad and angry. I hope we can find him.

Timeline cleanse! Here’s my sweet sweet boy.

I was radicalized to this idea back in college long before ever visiting Europe by the old Urban Planning classic book: The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces.

My Christmas card “helper” who is more of a hindrance.

Me: Christmas just isn’t as magical with older kids. You guys are all kind of past that stage. 16: I know. I think we should rent some children to bring back the holiday spirit.

Sitting in the dentist waiting room. Wood floors so sound is carrying. Sensory nightmare. I can clearly hear hygienist convo, & v loud elderly man at counter talks to receptionist over his cell phone speaker on max volume on that is on hold w/his bank. That shrill hold music. I’m going to die.

Do normal people not check the weather forecast? A house up the street is currently being painted in 45 degree drippy weather one day ahead of a level 5 atmospheric river arriving. What on earth are they thinking?? Why does nobody know we are about to have an insane storm?

Saw this in the wild and I actually laughed out loud alone in my car. I love how much people hate JD Vance.

For a mere $20, your child can look like they climbed out of Soviet-era Russia in this charming “dusty olive” shirt.

16 learned today that TSA asks a lot of questions when you pack a dumbbell in your backpack. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Chartres cathedral in France during the annual Chartres en Lumières light show

I just cleaned my MIL’s sink and who decided copper sinks were a good idea???

And now we enter the season of the two kinds of clients. The “it can wait until January” ones who we love, and the slightly dreaded “can we finish by the end of the year” ones who give us panic attacks.

And now for some of my very favourite Smol Paul moments in no particular order, starting with the first ever yeet

1980 really was an excellent year for baby portrait style.

ICE DETAINED MARILYN. Fuck these people. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

One thing I have no patience for is "there is nothing to be thankful for" doomerism. If Americans were finding things to be thankful for in 1863, two and a half years into a bloody Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln formalized the Thanksgiving holiday, then I can find things to be thankful for too.

Presented without comment.

You reminded me of what Aisha Tyler said after meeting Pres Obama, "he smelled like freedom and cookies" Probably something like that.

Just look at that sunrise! Mt. Rainier has been “erased” by the clouds.

My son’s bff’s mom is a flight attendant. My son just told me his friend brings the little paid airline snack trays (like the cheese/crackers/dried fruit things) to school for lunch and I thought that was both hilarious and genius.

The tree has been lit. I did myself the favor of getting this done before Thanksgiving. 🏆

Can someone explain to me exactly how one is supposed to afford college? Like for real. There are sooo many roadblocks and the cost is insane. Having a kid entering this phase of life, I find it mysterious and infuriating that it is such a challenge to pay for it.

My first child just finished and submitted his first college application and this feels like a big deal.

I just rehung all of our collage photo frames and my children are currently counting how many photos of each of them there are to accuse me of favoritism. Sigh.

Timeline cleanse for ya.

Genuinely wondering: how DO rich people access healthcare? It’s obviously someone like Trump doesn’t understand how it works for us plebs.

if you genuinely think Schumer and Democratic leadership opposed this & Republicans coincidentally got exactly the number of votes they needed to avoid a filibuster and none of those votes are from Democratic Senators who are up for reelection in the midterms next year, I have a bridge to sell you.

I'm the spouse of an air traffic controller and I could not be more livid at the news that Dems might cave. I called and left voicemails for my Dem senators. If my family can hold the fucking line, so can they.

Just an FYI: if my Thanksgiving flight is canceled and I have to DRIVE to San Diego, I’m not going to be blaming democrats for trying to save my (yes, husband and I are small business owners and use the ACA exchange) healthcare. I’m going to blame the absolute incompetence of the republicans.

I was helping my grandma w/her computer today & quietly unsubscribed her from the zillion Nextdoor emails she was receiving. Good gravy. I have never been on Nextdoor b4 but it’s wild to see even briefly how paranoid ppl are about their neighborhood.

It's not even 10am and I'm already ready to give up on this day. And maybe this week. Definitely this month. The year? Possibly.

My cat is not cross-eyed but for some reason he always looks like he is in pictures.

This is it. It’s a grift. Ask anyone (including me!) in the building industry. It’s not actually possible to design AND build this type of building this quickly. It just won’t happen. Also the $300m number is outrageous. That’s over $3000k/sf. It’s a con like Bannon’s wall fundraiser.

I had a dream last night that my husband made me give away our cats and I still have not forgiven him even though he profusely apologized for what dream-him did. 😅 I keep looking at my cat and going “I can’t believe he made me give you away!”

I want more people to care that SNAP benefits are being cut off on November 1. 40% of SNAP beneficiaries are children. This is callous and vile.

“Argentina has great beef.” “Beef and nazis.” -While You Were Sleeping

My favorite sign today said “our healthcare has been deported to Argentina.”

Big turnout in our little town! Little kids to the elderly with walkers. And it was joyful community and very peaceful. We love our country!

The boys from Zaporizhia were separated by Russia's war. A year without seeing each other. Then came an unexpected reunion that changed everything. 👇

A creative structural strategy here. 🤔