We spent nature day yesterday at the MN zoo admiring some of the new animals in the tropics area exhibiting some wonderful behaviors.

And Jessica took these lovely photos from their new butterfly exhibit:

I’m on a nearly-four month napping streak. I have not missed a nap in all that time. Every day. There have been some near-misses, but I’ve always managed to get one in. It’s all part of my grow-healthy-twin-babies plan. Eat a lot of high-protein, nutritious food and rest. It’s hard work. Anyway, today was an extra lovely nap experience because my kids were awake as I slept. Here’s how it played out:

After lunch it looked like we all could use a rest, especially me, so we trudged upstairs for a nap. As happens quite often lately, Art popped out of bed ten minutes after getting in saying he didn’t want to take a nap. I told him he could play upstairs but I would keep sleeping. Eventually Lewis joined him. I stayed about 13% conscious, just enough to hear them running water and talking about crocodiles and sharks with the bath toys. Later Art came in and said they were going to go downstairs. I wrestled with the idea of getting out of bed but decided that the doors were locked, they can’t get “out” so I would just lay there a little longer. A while later Art came into my room and said, “Did you hear the song I was playing on the piano? It sounded like a real song! Did you hear it?” I told him yes, a 87% lie, and asked what Lewis was doing. “He’s making a zoo, because I told him to.” Ok. Back to mostly sleep. I heard some more piano playing. Later he came back up, asked if I’d heard it again and this time I could more truthfully say yes. Lewis came up, too. He needed to sleep so I helped him into bed and took Art downstairs to watch his new shark show. When I got downstairs I saw the blocks on the floor with some animals which was the zoo Lewis had been making. I also found a package of graham crackers on the dining room table with a scissors used to open the package. They had helped themselves to a snack! Later found a cup in the bathroom with hand soap in it, clearly a bubble making project and the reason for the running water while they were still upstairs.

How long was I 87% asleep? Almost 45 minutes. What a lovely, fun adventure for them on their own, and for me to wake up and find the remains of. I’m smiling just imagining Art taking care of Lewis and himself so well.

I'm out of town and just got this important note from Jessica. –Sent from my handheld device.–

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: "Jessica Parker" <parker.garvin@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 12, 2010 10:15 PM
Subject: ate massive quantities of watermelon
To: "Ben Garvin" <bengarvin@gmail.com>

Kids have been up two – or was it three – times already to pee.
Lewis's pee is totally clear.  Pure watermelon water.

So Lewis said, "oh no, Mama!" Then I redirected him with, "Let's go get some cheese popcorn instead." Ben answered, in a high voice, "yeah! I don't have to bend over my big preggo self and pick up that god damn graham cracker!"

We rode our bikes to Bubbe’s house for a visit yesterday and heard some ominous sounding scratching coming from her attic. It sounded big and strong, maybe a raccoon. Or at least a plump squirrel. Art was scared and insisted on hiding under Bubbe’s covers (Lew promptly followed). Bubbe laughed so hard. It was a pretty ridiculous scene.

email from Jess late Saturday night:
Just so you know, Lew's sheets are wet again but this time it's
because I put a little table next to his bedside with your water
bottle on it, so he could get his own water when he wanted it. When I
went up to check on him the water bottle was in bed with him, on its
side, contents emptied. So I laid a towel under him and got him a new
cover but I tell 'ya, I can't make that bed again! It's exhausting!Oh, and both kids went to bed with tiny flashlights and both
flashlights were in their clutches, "on" but completely dead. Art
wanted to look at the last page in Wonderbear and his snake book and
Lewis just wanted a flashlight, too. I think Art is still clutching
his dead flashlight now because he got up to pee an hour ago and
grabbed it when I was putting his covers back on.

Art’s friend Si came over and they slid directly into the pool to maximize fun. I can appreciate that.

Josh, a Latin teacher with the summer free, has been doing a massive amount of work to his kitchen in South Minneapolis. Art and Lew and I stopped by to check it out.

We finally cut our super long branch in the backyard. For the past couple years I’ve delighted myself by pruning the thing and watching it grow more and more absurdly long with a tiny little tuft at the end. We joked it was our shade tree, since it was really the only branch in our backyard providing afternoon shade, even if it was a square foot patch. But lately it was sagging really low, unable to support the weight of it’s crazy length. So we chopped it off. So sad!