Please invent a hugging machine.

I need a lap to crawl in. If you have one available that will accommodate a fluffy, neurotic brunette, please e-mail me.

Do they make warm teddy bears in XL huggy huge sizes like that? Seriously. I want to be four again, booting my sister out of my Dad’s arms to dive into his lap.

I can’t think of any particular trigger. Nothing worse/better lately than the rest of my life. In fact, it’s probably mostly better than average. The 2/3 kids who hated me now fall, 3/3, in the tolerating Mom just fine category, which is a very big improvement. I have to wait until 6:30 for a good huggin’ from Dude, who’s only 11, still wants hugs, is taller than me, and he’s the best hugger in the house. Yeah. I’m seriously looking forward to his good morning "Hi, Mom," routine, one that he will outgrow far too soon, then I will seriously be in the market for an industrial-strength hugging machine.

Stud’s got the arms for it, but I usually get goosed along with it.

So, all you inventors, get a nice hugging machine going, possibly with voices of affirmation, such as, "There, there, darlin'. You mine."