Friday Five

1. My 13-year-old son auditioned for the junior high musical this week and made it! He even has a small solo part. Not bad for a kid who's never had drama until this year and who kept it practically a state secret that he can actually sing. Can't wait to see him on stage.

2. My husband is home. Well, he's not exactly in the house at this precise moment, but after nearly two weeks in Asia, it's nice to have him around. And I'm not saying that just because he brought me a cashmere scarf from Mongolia.

3. The things that makes a mother's heart happy: a family room with a new leather sectional, a Wii, and ten kids ranging in age from eight to eighteen. I love having my teenagers and their friends around . . . and that they're sometimes willing to play with my youngest is a bonus.

4. Still waiting for news from New York. We had a short email exchange this week--she has the manuscript, will get to it soon, and it's been as frigid there as it's been here. Does that qualify as bonding?

5. If I'm a little cranky, it's because I'm eight days into a 21-day hcg diet. The good news--it's working. I'm down eight pounds and several inches in my waist and hips. That's pretty good motivation, especially with a trip to Hawaii next month. The neutral news--I'm not hungry. The hcg does what it's supposed to, directing my body to burn its fat stores while I restrict my calorie intake fairly low. The bad news--I'm hyper aware of what I can't eat. And it there's plenty of it in this house with four kids and one husband who couldn't get fat if he tried. Cinnamon bread. Baked macaroni and cheese. Pretzels. Cold cereal. Yogurt. But then I remind myself that I can do anything for 21 days and at this rate of weight loss, I'll finally make it within nodding distance of what I weighed when I got pregnant with my youngest.

Just don't go waving cookies in my face.