The bruised face does make it a little harder for her to hustle people

I just wanted to let you know that by Thursday morning's playdate Anna was right back to card-sharking as usual, so she's probably not permanently damaged or anything.

You're going to want to double down there, kid.

She was a lot more clingy and quiet than normal, though, to the point that one of the moms (who had never met us before) commented on how good she must be at story time and such. I probably would have laughed wearily for about ten minutes if I hadn't been distracted by the slight concern that the blow to her head had somehow altered her personality. For the quieter. And still...er. (Having since taken her to a birthday party in the park, I can say with some confidence that this is not the case.)

Friday night: red beans and rice. I know I said that Friday night meals are usually the least desirable of the lineup (perhaps because they are not-infrequently kale-based), but in this case, I just kept forgetting to soak my beans overnight.

I always desire you, red beans and rice.

Not only were they warm and tasty, they actually inspired Anna to give the bowl-and-spoon thing her most concentrated effort to date.

I don't need to tell you how rapidly this situation disintegrated.