Do you know what sucks? -getting 2.5 hours of sleep total last night -getting thrown up on -the smell of that throw up, especially several hours later

The only positive thing I can say about last night is that I felt like a super hero when, suspecting Ol was about to hurl, I hauled the upper half of my body over the side of the bed, and held Ol over my shoulder while he let it rip. It was like being in an upside-down plank position with a sick child as a carry-on. The upshot here is that my sheets stayed puke-free. Amen!

On the less glass-half-full side is that an hour after I finally got him back to sleep, crazy-windmill-when-he-sleeps-Jack crawled into bed with me complaining of a nightmare. Ol was up again later. I feel like I have been run over. Can you believe last night was the night I suggested Tom sleep in the basement because he was tired? Balls! ~~~~~~

As it looks like I will do well today to just stay awake until my sitter gets here at 2, there may not be much cooking to tell you about until later. So, I will take this opportunity to commence a new series on Kitchen Items You May Not Know You Need, But Do!

1) Thermapen: You will never over- or undercook anything again! This quick-read, ultra-accurate thermometer is a brilliant, comforting addition to our kitchen. T was forever worrying about the steaks- did he ruin them, or was he about to serve us beef tartare? I sprung for this -it's expensive! $90 or so- for him for a birthday or Christmas two years ago, and we have been thrilled about its purchase ever since.

I never see them on sale but did get mine from King Arthur upon receipt of a 20% off any purchase coupon. Nice. So if you're interested, keep your eyes peeled for a coupon. If you're desperate for a tool like this, run, don't walk, and get one. 5 STARS.