I did not agree to stay up and watch the girls at this hour

Let me go on the record as saying that text messaging me your change of plans does *not* constitute asking permission to glean free babysitting from me. An agreement that I'd watch them while 'dul is *nearby* and they're *still asleep* is not the same as "Yeah, sure, pop off to a movie a few hours away at this hour of night, and I don't mind putting them to bed once they have nightmares". Not in this lifetime, and certainly not for free. (I believe that under the standard rates in this city I've racked up at least a good $30 - and that's just for all the babysitting that happened after 'dul skipped off.)

I am fucking PISSED OFF right now, in fact. (Although I'm kinda happy that Ana remembered to knock at my door this time instead of just barging in and SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF ME).

So, after a good 45 minutes of sitting outside their door telling them not to fidget and to go to sleep, I realized that I actually didn't care if they're yawning all day tomorrow, or if 'dul is up all night tonight putting them back to sleep, or if his great plans for tomorrow are foiled because of lack of rest for the lot of 'em.

It's all his fault anyway.

So we trooped into Jenn's room (I could at least be comfortable, right?) and I let them stay up and be all good and hyper (put the kibosh on the pillow fight, though, and I *did* refuse Ana's suggestion that I simply make my way back downstairs and leave them awake and unattended) for the next hour.

I wasn't really being indulgent. I was just being petty. But it was fun, and not in the small-minded way. I mean that watching them be all bright and bubbly is fun! It is! Especially when it is, for me, totally consequence-free. If it'd gone on another 20 minutes, I'd've started baking cookies, too, so I'd say 'dul arrived just in the nick of time... baking at my current level of awakeness mayn't be the best of all possible ideas.

An article on American Girl Dolls (with a few bonuses!)

Here's the article
But first - definitely check out the slideshow. Go carefully through those pictures, remember that this is NYC, and ask yourself - "What is wrong with these photographs?"

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So, yes, the fact that the slideshow shows only white people (and I *am* white! and I still think it's weird and creepy and disturbing!) prompted me to track down this entry on racism in the American Girl world by kittikattie.

In fact, I'm so creeped out that I'm going to go ahead and re-quote Ms. Clueless from that article on the disabled dolls:

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Here's an interesting article

On "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome" - not sure if that's the real name or not.

It reminded me of something I go through sometimes, that I think started round about in high school. I posted about it a few years ago, and got some concerned responses, but I really couldn't *do anything* about it at the time so I worked *really hard* to forget all about it, and eventually the problem went away.

Well, it came back a few months ago, and was really freaking me out, and it seems to have stopped for right now, but let me describe it.

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All I can find with the amazing internets is that sometimes this is related to DID. But... I don't think that applies. It's not stopping me from living my life, anyway, it's just very... creepy.