It occurred to me on about day five of the ten-day trip to Mississippi from which we've just this last hour returned that I should have mentioned on the blog that we were leaving and some serious blog neglect was about to ensue. But since I didn't have the foresight to do that, I'll just have to apologize as usual. I always have grand plans to blog from my parents' house. This time, I even brought a CD of all the photos I might want to include in my planned writings.That's how good my intentions were. I can't really say that I regret not blogging, since instead I spent time talking to my sisters, playing with Kate with my mom, and eating fabulous food. The food pretty much always wins when I'm in the South.

Now we're back in Albuquerque, and laundry and unpacking our giant suitcases is going to have to take priority for a few days. But here's an airplane/parenting related pop quiz just to make this a legitimate blog post.

Question: If you take a plane ride with your ten-month-old child and pack a bag full of entertainment objects including, but not limited to, a stuffed monkey, a measuring cup, a chewy toy shaped like a popsicle, a rattle, and plastic baby keys, which of these objects will entrance your child for the duration of a flight from Jackson, Mississippi to Houston?

Answer: None. But during the beverage service, the flight attendant will hand your baby a plastic cup with the words "Continental Airlines" on it, and the baby will behave as if this plastic cup is the long-sought key to her happiness in life and play with it for the remainder of the flight.

Whatever works, people. I do whatever works.