Hello and happy happy Friday. Today's note is a send off of sorts; I won't be back until the week after next. Tonight, I'm flying to Paris to meet Bret, who's flying in from Beijing, for three days. Eek! I've never been to Europe, and though I'll be losing my ace "Never Have I Ever" card, I cant' wait to see the City of Lights this time of year. We're burning more than a year's worth of airline miles and hotel points on these three days. We're not taking Lou, and we're thinking of it as a baby moon of sorts. Because yes, we're expecting number two!

So, 'til the 29th, here's the food for thought I've been mulling over.

• Baby Dos is due in May, which means I'm about 5 months along. Like the universe, I am ever expanding, and width, not depth-wise. I have finally developed a bump, but it still doesn't balance out the very rapid expansion of my thighs, which is exactly what happened when I was pregnant with Lou. Packing for Paris at this stage in pregnancy proved to be a bit of a challenge, but over all a fun one. I plan to actually do some outfit posts when I get back, because I think it's time someone on the Internet acknowledged that not everyone has the "challenge" of dressing a cute little baby bump. Some of us develop a huge butt and a disappearing waist roughly three hours after conceiving, and we have to get dressed too.
• I am finally, finally on the Serial train. If you're not, all aboard. Game of Thrones isn't this addicting. 
• If you are a woman and not sure what's expected of you this holiday season, this is the best advice around, culled directly from the true power brokers in our society - retailers. See also a similar take on mothering, which actually brought me to tears laughing.
• Speaking of mothering, this is my corner of the Internet, so let me just say that I'm tired of the current trope, exemplified by this ridiculous, book-shilling piece Huff Post printed and Facebook friends forwarded, that women aren't devoting enough time to their kids - or not enough time with a cheerful enough facial expression. Let me state for the record that working for a living COUNTS AS TIME DEVOTED TO KIDS. So does doing laundry and making doctor appointments and even going to yoga and regaining a grip on sanity. Yeah, I'm a little worked up about it. It puts me in a bad mood to have to reference Sheryl Sandberg, but even she acknowledges that women actually spend more time face-to-face with their kids now than they used to, despite increased demands. Telling women they've made the wrong choices, and telling their kids that their poor, befuddled moms don't even know how to rectify those bad choices, is classist, sexist and nauseating. Okay, rant over.
• I'm thinking hard about new year's resolutions, which I'm big on, starting some fun new projects, and SANTA!!!! For Lou, of course. Santa already brought me my Vitamix. For which I lurve him, very much. Hope your holidays are merry and bright and everything you hoped for!