Graduates from high school, and a womb

It's such a weird sound when everyone in the house is sleeping but me. I mean, it's quiet, yes, but there's a heavy contentment in the air, too. Sydney was just super tired; Mom is taking a doze on the sofa; and Clyde is stretched out on the floor at my feet. Me? I'm messing around on the Internets, when I should probably be sleeping myself. But I don't work like that, and the afternoon looks to be a slow and easy one, so I may just blog a bit, eat some pineapple upside down cake bundlet, and read a magazine.
It's been a lovely visit here to California this week. Ashlee's graduation was great yesterday afternoon, and we all got a chance to scream and jump around when her name was called and she walked across the stage. Her school, my own high school alma mater, still forces its female graduates to wear the same hideous light blue color on their gowns and mortar boards that Lisa and I had to wear. That's too bad, because the darker shade of blue is much nicer. My brother, Scott, tells me that the lighter blue is more feminine. (!) But if the dark is prettier, it should all be uniform! I wonder how many other schools have different gown colors for the girls and the boys? I find that giving the girls the ugly color is gender discrimination.
The other big news! My dear friend, Jeannine, had her baby boy Thursday night! Eli James was born at 9:35 p.m., weighed 7 lbs, 8 oz., and is celebrated by his family and their friends. Andrea and I had a chance to go by the hospital last night to meet him and to check in on Jeannine and Jeff. Everyone is perfectly fine, and seemingly walking on air. He's such an adorable peanut! The new parents are so happy, and they couldn't stop smiling at their little man. It was a sweet, loving scene, and I'm so glad and honored to have been there for part of it.
Also, you know that other thing, with the guy, and the attorney, and the suing, and the asshole? Well, we are feeling better about that. That phrase, about losing battles but winning wars may sometimes be apropos, but not always. We're not losing anything.