“Hey Lewis, did you know, one day, when I was little, that used to be my frog…and his arm came off?”

And, against her wishes we threw a celebratory brunch for her this morning! Unfortunately I forgot to get a photo of her (!), but expect many more over time. I love Bubbe and am so glad we’ll get to see more of her. It’s great for Arthur and Lewis and Bailey and Netta and Jessica and me.

Bailey and Netta were passed in a clockwise rotation (and sometimes counterclockwise) around the room.

Notice the friendly-looking brother in the background.

Tonight we really needed to get the boys out of the house and having some serious fun. We had family and friends over in the morning for brunch and Art was rightfully feeling neglected and lonesome. He asked several times to have a friend over and we just couldn’t find any friend who was available. All were busy with grandmas or other obligations. Preschoolers! Anyway, for dinner we satisfied my need to get out of the house and to eat some Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup with an out-of-this-world broth) and the Art’s desire to go the French Fry Climbing Place that we “usually” go to (Burger King playland over by Marshall’s in the Hub strip mall). So I took the boys to the Vietnamese place we like and picked up Pho for the road, drove it to Burger King and whooped out three bowls from home to divi up the soup. I also got French fries and a fish sandwich for sharing.

They dove into their noodle soup and were single-minded about it, with a few sandwich bites, until all the noodles were gone. Then they started eating their cold fries and got to running around the climbing place. I think we were there for two hours. It felt like it. They had a great time. I did, too, just watching them. It was just what everyone needed.

This morning after watching Mr. Rogers Art came into the kitchen and said with great certainty, “Papa, I want to meet Mr. Rogers.” He went on to explain that he had asked Lewis if he wanted to meet him, too, and Lewis said yes. So they both would like to meet him. They were watching an episode where Mr. Rogers quietly comes into his house, greets his ‘telivision neighbors’ and takes off his sweater. Then he sit on the floor and starts building with blocks. He made a ‘garage’ for a little car. Art said that he’d like to build blocks with Mr. Rogers and learn how to make a garage, too.

I told Jessica about this and she immediately said she’d like to meet him, too. And so would I. That makes four of us. And I bet Bailey and Netta would, too. Six. I wish he were still alive and giving a talk at Macalester College about child development tomorrow morning and afterwards he sit down on the floor and start building blocks with kids. We would definitely go.

Cousin Cait came over this afternoon to help with the kids. On my way out she asked if we have any rules about TV she oughta know. Not really I said, especially now that it’s so chaotic with the babies. Often a half hour of TV can do wonders to help center Art and Lewis from emotional chaos or rouse them from a sleepy nap. Or just give Jessica and I some time to do whatever. But really, in my view the kind of TV matters more than the amount. And Mr. Rogers and our kids can spend as much time as they like together.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s a wonderful clip or Fred Rogers speaking in support of funding for children’s programming at a senate hearing in 1969, 7 years before I was born and nearly 50 before my kids were born. I wish I could shake his hand and say thanks.

Right now I am typing with one hand while I hold a swaddled baby with
the other and have another baby in the sling. They are both quite
cointent and I am, too. The boys are nappiung and as soon as I feel
like these girks are ready to lay down (and I have finished my second
lunch) I will also nap. And so this is how I get by in my solo
parenting times, which I really have only had to do a few times and
for three or four hours at a time, tops. So far so good! Last night
I ate my dinner while holding two babies and today I nursed a baby
while I got snacks, turned on the t.v. for the boys and soothed a
distraught Lewis. I also lost my cool about candy with Art (I wish I
had pilfered more of it off in the beginning. I can't wait for the
pumpkin bucket to be empty, I'm so sick of watching them eat candy…)
and had three children crying at the top of their lungs at one point.
But mostly I was able to maintain my own sense of calm and prioritize
who needed what when.Alright, one girl is now in the electric swing with some rainforest
sounds. I think she is DOWN!I keep thinking it's a good thing these babies are not as big as Art
and Lewis were. I carried Netta all the way through a 40 minute
grocery trip this morning. I didn't have a sling and she was
shrieking when we got there. So I just carried her. Then I set her
down on a counter while I poured bulk baking powder into my container
spilled some on her head. She is nicely leavened now. I was at the
co-op and people were helping me out left and right – putting the lid
back on my container, helping me unload my cart, and someone even
stopped on her way into the store to help me get my bags into my car
and put my cart in the corral. And this is good samaritan help for
just one baby! Imagine the volunteerism I would have inspired if I'd
had BOTH with me!!!Well, tonight bmy cousin Cait will be here to help and a neighbor
stopped by just 10 minutes after I was wondering what I would do for
dinner offering to bring us food – ham, stuffed, baked potatoes and
cheese/chive souffle (!). This is why I look mostly bright eyed and
happy when people see me. We've had a lot of great help!!!

Netta appears to be completely bottomless.
(clarification: jess wrote this in regards to Netta’s appetite, not her lack of pants…)

Our niece just came home from the hospital where she spent the first month of her life. I stopped by today to take some photos and see how their first night went. Mike mentioned something about a three hour chunk of crying and I cringed as I remember how overwhelmed and actually scared Jessica and I were when we first brought Art home. Having a child completely in your care, a helpless little thing, is stressful! It certainly was for us. I remember the first night Art was home I had a 3am cussing fit as I fumbled through a diaper change and then Jessica started to cry thinking there was no one in the house that could keep it together.

Anyway, back to Charlotte. I couldn’t help but notice how natural and happy Emily and Mike and Charlotte seemed. I can’t wait until we get all these babies together.

Kirsten, Evva and Oscar’s nanny, stopped by with Oscar today and held babies for a solid hour. Great to see her and made time for both Jess and I to take showers! Thanks, Kirsten…

And let this serve as a general invitation for folks to drop by anytime to hang out and hold some babies. Jessica loves seeing people and babies like holding! Just call or text (or email) ahead of time to see if folks are awake (our home phone is working again, too). Generally speaking, mornings from 9-noon are good, or afternoons after 3 or 4.

Everytime I drop off Art at school and hang around a bit he builds block structures. All different kinds. Jessica thinks they’ve become more modern looking lately. I love to watch him build!