Last weekend my three-year-old got glasses as part of his ongoing treatment related to his cataract. I didn't think it was possible for him to look cuter, but I have to say these glasses are really the icing on the cake. Totally extra-adorable, in my un-biased opinion.

After 24 hours he adjusted to them perfectly and we don't have problems (knock wood) with him taking them off all the time. I guess he realizes that it is pretty sweet to be able to, you know, see out of his eyeballs.

However, the other new development in this story is that he also has to wear an eye patch for 2 hours a day — and that time will increase in the near future. So. I broke down and let him play Sonic on a Nintendo DS every morning. It is the perfect game because you don't "die" and he can just keep going and going without the game stopping and requiring help from me.

It is also really great for getting his eye to work hard, and that is ultimately going to make his vision stronger. Before we tried this, the longest he wore his patch was 2.5 MINUTES and that was with me constantly moving his hands away from the patch and feeding him Skittles every 30 seconds!

But I know that soon enough he's going to tire of this one game, and this is where I need your help.

Are there other games out there which are suitable for a 3 year old and which he could keep it going by himself — and the character doesn't die? I want him to be able to entertain himself in the morning and be distracted enough to keep the patch on.

Help a sister out!

I choked laughing reading this, and I guess that means it has come full circle.

Perfect :)

And hey, check out this WordPress blogging-related giveaway: Membership in the $5 Theme Club!

Read it like a manual.

I can't stop laughing!

Hell yeah.

And reason #4739 why I heart Elisa.

Do you want to come to BlogHer this summer in San Francisco but you're not sure how you can swing it financially? Check out the information on BlogHerships and apply to get free registration in exchange for volunteering at the conference. It is a fair amount of work, but free is free. And if it makes the difference between you getting to go and not, then it could be worth it.

And speaking of money, if you have your own business and haven't listed it in my Directory of Businesses Run by Humans and not Corporate Machines (note to self: get a shorter name), then right now… yes right now… tiny kittens are weeping for your soul. Get listed, get exposure, get it for free :)

And I have yet to reject a site, so if you've already submitted your site but you don't see it listed, let me know! At the very beginning the submission form went fubar, but everything appears hunky dory now. Do it!

No words, just go watch this and try not to laugh.

HA! Sounds like an excellent V-Day.

And look who is back just in time for Spring!

Please. You really do need to read all the way to the end.

Excellent… someone who aims as high as I do!

Now THAT'S my kind of recipe! Although… 22? Does anyone really need 22 of them? Where would you keep them?

I say no — what say you?

Phew, that was a real nail-biter. I'm so glad it turned out well!

Our own real-life Stella :)

And yes, I've been living under a rock. I just found out that Shannon went to Africa. In fact, she's on her way home right now and you should all go read about her amazing adventure. Shannon, you are so strong.

So, brave? Not quite. I'm a lonely, homesick, hungry goofball who has learned that sleeping under a mosquito net isn't quite as Hemingway-esque as I thought it would be. [more]

OK, maybe true, but Shannon? You were afraid and you did it anyway.

[Updated below]

When I shop, I prefer 'Mom and Pop' style businesses where I can meet the owners and feel a real connection with them. When I buy things online I like to patronize stores owned by the person who makes what I'm buying.

I figure I'm not the only one out there who feels this way, so I thought I'd start a directory of businesses owned by actual humans. If that describes you, please tell me about your biz using this form and I'll add you to my directory. (I guess I'll eventually have to come up with rules about sites I won't link to, but for now it is pretty loose ;)

I can think of lots of you wonderful readers who have great businesses — you may sell on Etsy, maybe you're a web designer, you're an architect, you do construction, you've got an eBay shop, you sell funny shirts on Cafe Press, … whatever it is, just let me know.

Fill out this form and I'll get you linked up

There will be no Walmarts or Amazons on this list. Just regular people Living the Dream: working for themselves!

(If you submitted your site before 5PM Pacific time on the 18th and you don't see it on the directory, please resubmit it. I'm sorry… :)

In case you missed it, over at Linksational (formerly Go Read It Today) I link out to blog posts that I think deserve more attention. But lately I feel like I keep linking to the same sites over and over again — I need some fresh meat!

So. In the comments below, please leave me links to blogs I should be reading — yours or someone else's. I want to spread the love further than I do now, and I need your help!

And as always, there is about a one bazillion percent higher chance I will continue to read the blogs you suggest if they publish full RSS feeds.

Thanks!

—-

And speaking of my other sites, over at Momsational I'm giving away a home security system to a blogger, another Evenflo car seat, and about a dozen other prizes. Check it out. I'd love for one of you to win :)

Hey, I just noticed that registration for BlogHer '08 has been open since December. Like where was I? Anyway, I also saw that if you register by February 28th you get $100 off your registration fee. That's not small potatoes, so I thought I'd mention it to you all.

Oh, and by the way…

BlogHer 2008: I'M GOING!

I'll be checking in to the Westin on the 17th, and leaving on the 20th. You'll find me here:

Who is coming with me??

Hold me.