Taxes are done and in the mail. I always wait until the last minute, in order to postpone the writing of the checks. When you�re self-employed, there�s always a lot of check writing on April 15. Four, to be exact: two each for state and federal. And next month is health insurance and property taxes. By Memorial Day we�re always cleaned out. State, federal and property taxes plus health insurance takes up about half of our annual income. It�s horrifying to think about.

This year, I particularly enjoyed signing my returns with a light saber pen, procured from inside a box of Cheerios a number of years ago and saved for its pure kitsch value. I�m not sure how it came to be in my hand for the signing of the returns, but it seemed appropriate. Take that, IRS!

* * * * *

We had a lovely picnic lunch by the river with AJ. We skipped stones, played on the playground, and ate leftovers from a particularly good batch of my Vietnamese chicken salad. We played baseball on the diamond. AJ wanted to do outfield practice and he took off running and running until he was a teeny tiny speck in the field. We couldn�t begin to hit the foam rubber balls we had with us that far, but AJ screamed hopefully �I got it! I got it!� every time his dad popped one in the air and he ran toward it, glove extended.

* * * * *

This afternoon, however, is a different story. AJ went to bed as Dr. Jekyll but awoke as Mr. Hyde. It�s heartbreaking to hear him wail, because what I think he�s really objecting to is that I�m not around quite as much as I used to be. He never had problems with my work time before, but now he�s getting upset that I am in my office with the door shut and he�s taking it out on my husband who has a hard time not taking his outbursts personally. And of course I feel terrible for abandoning him, even though I know that once he settles in it�s better for all of us. "Just one more hug," he begs tearfully every time it's time for me to go.

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