Back Home, Back on Deadline

We're back from the "family business" I mentioned last time, which involved taking my twin daughters to a three-day summer advising session at the university they'll be attending in the fall. My last post wasn't meant to be coy; I just saw no real upside to telling every Internet-saavy burglar that my house would be empty and waiting for them. Anyway, we're back, so you burglars missed your opportunity. Just as well. You wouldn't have wanted to cross my attack cat.

Dire fate awaits on tiny padded paws

Getting ready to send half our family into the world--and the most innocent, least worldly half, at that--is tough. The girls' future college put on good programs for both students and parents, advising the students on navigating the system and choosing classes while advising the parents on letting go gracefully and writing large checks. Compared to some of the half-wit parents whose questions we could only roll our eyes at, we're doing fine. One woman asked about her daughter's prospects for finding a husband. Another asked how she should handle her kid's disappointment at not getting into the really good school they wanted. Way too many got bogged down in details their kids will figure out their first day in the dorms. People in my generation are sometimes called "Helicopter Parents" because they hover over their children trying to micromanage all their problems for them. I saw a lot of that. I'll always try to protect my babies from real harm or errors, but beyond that I think "figure it out for yourself" is a perfectly fine parenting philosophy.

Yeah, I talk tough. When the chips are down, I'll crumble quicker than a Batman made of chalk:

I'm working very hard the rest of the month. Next week's Comic-Con International will take a big chunk of time. After that, I'm planning to fly to Tucson, Arizona for a book-related event I'll say more about later. Lots of deadlines in between. Just because I may not write often doesn't mean I don't love you.