You Never Can Tell, Whether it's Babies or Old Zip

Well, I did jinx it. Last night, New Year's Eve, Brigid wanted to welcome in 2007 with a full two-lung salute. She started crying after having been in her crib asleep about four hours. She cried from 1 a.m. until well after 2. I did the Ferber technique, which may work better than letting a child cry it out cold turkey but it's hard on the parent, who wants so badly to scoop up her little baby and comfort the tears away. I don't know why after several days Brigid decided last night was the one to cry, but I'm hopeful it was a fluke. We'll see how she does tonight, especially since I go back to work tomorrow after being off on vacation during the holidays.

Today I put together the Peek and Play Discovery Zone that Grandma and Granddad Downs gave Brigid for Christmas. You need a Ph.D. in physics and engineering to figure out how to put something like this together. But I managed without too many muttered cuss words and no one lost an eye in the process. Patricia is in Brigid's room right now playing with her in it. They seem to be enjoying the toy, although as usual, Brigid is finding more delight in the box it came in. I'm embarassed to say we have a typical baby.

The girls go back to school tomorrow and Margaret is at this minute trying to finish up homework that should have been done days ago. Her English teacher gave the kids work to do that had to be done throughout the vacation. She's only now getting to it. We're going to Grandma and Granddad's house for dinner tonight; she had better have it done by then or she's out of luck tomorrow.

Speaking of Grandma and Granddad's, today is the day we get presents from Old Zip, someone no one seems to know about except Jack's family. His grandmother's family celebrated New Year's with Old Zip, a mischiveous guy who more often than not gave gifts that were used, rude or otherwise insulting. People have received used soap, deodorant and old buttons in the past. Sometimes the gifts are new; most likely they're not. We don't know where Old Zip originated, but we think it might be a French Canadian tradition that somehow got lost in the English translation. All I do know is you never know with Old Zip.