As it turns out, I didn�t have cramps but a low grade kidney infection. So I feel a bit less like a baby for spending most of yesterday afternoon and evening curled up in bed in the fetal position and am hoping to God the antibiotics and gallons of cranberry juice sitting on the table next to me will kick in fast. Mostly, though, I�m frustrated for having spent the precious time while AJ is at school on the doctor�s office and the pharmacy instead of on the writing and editing I desperately need to be doing. And then there�s the small matter of feeling like someone is continually pummeling me in the gut. Oh wait, that was AJ.

AJ has returned from school in high spirits. Apparently they start the nationalist brainwashing early, because today they learned the pledge of allegiance and painted adorably deformed American flags. In case that wasn�t enough to convince them to respect the fatherland, they received stickers � the three-year-old�s equivalent of gold bullion � to wear on their shirts in the shape of the now ubiquitous stars and stripes loop of ribbon AND an actual flag on a pointy, pointy stick to wave and jab in the general direction of their comrades (and just so you don�t think his teachers are stupid, they handed these out at the very end of class, so it was the parents� job and not theirs to prevent unwarranted dueling). I�ll be spending the afternoon deprogramming him. Or at the very least, I�ll be trying to get his version of the pledge. That�s sure to be entertaining. Only it hurts to laugh.

Yawn. Self-pity is excruciatingly dull. I�ll be back when I�m on the mend.

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