is always a glorious feeling
especially when there are treats waiting

Paul insightfully asked if our kitchen was a factory
which I admit it sometimes feels like that
with dishes and food going in and out

before

and after with baby food staples

and a chance to go through last week’s hand me downs

thank you Jenny and Luke for clothes, costumes,

and an awesome pair of converse

Plus an opportunity to participate in a research study

at the Language Lab at USC

for 11-13 month olds

Already busy and not even to the best parts of the weekend.

combined with counting

and writing

and practice of the one to one correspondence skill

all the while a little brother imitating him.

I love the age these two boys are with discovery and learning around every corner.

as soon as she wakes up I must cuddle her up.

After a nap she has these warm rosy cheeks

and still some snuggle left in her.

If her brothers have been happily playing

they know to head for high ground

(i.e. the bunk bed)

if they want to continue without interruption.

Tonight I can say they were sharing well

and using their words.

While I get started on dinner or dishes

she will entertain herself as the youngest,

and tonight that was the babbling loudly

at the same time as banging on the side of the oven.

She has been doing this adorable ‘scoot-scoot”

but tonight I saw a lot more crawling

which is also cute

because she can go about two feet

before her little arms give out

and then she will take a break

to suck her thumb or roll onto her back and giggle.

Tonight is ideal, after a bath they fell asleep one after the other.

Henry at 6:45 (he’s still not feeling well),

Olivine at 7:05,

and Paul stayed up a little later.

Joe is goes to class tonight

and I have a little “me” time.

part of my parenting is the on-going practice,

the chance to learn patience.

Like with Henry

at a birthday party on Sunday

and having to leave early

because he fell in a bucket of water

while walking backwards.

This meant I didn’t get to taste these yummy cupcakes a friend made

but I did get to practice patience.

As we were leaving the party,

he was crying from being wet,

meanwhile Paul was crying because we had to leave early,

and there she sat

with her calm and contemplative presence

reminding me to relax.

I also have on-going opportunities to

improve upon my imagination.

Paul is increasingly fascinated with Mister Rogers

and is wanting to role play the different places he visits

and people he meets from the show.

I have never, not even when I was a kid, been very good

at imaginative play,

too much of a realist.

He is giving me this gift as an adult:

to discover the power of suspending reality.

remembering how much effort it takes in the process of learning.

I watch him form letters and numbers

with such determination.

I enjoy sitting with him and seeing up close

the newness in learning to reading and write.

It does not really come naturally to anyone.

We are together, side by side, learning that mistakes are okay.

When he wrote “on” with an “m” his first request

was for a new paper.

He gets it from me, a bit too hard on himself,

but we are taking advantage of the chance to “let it go.”

There has been plenty going on around here

like trips to see Koi fish

at the Japanese Garden

and crazy shenanigans like insisting on wearing sunglasses.

(This funky attitude is highly influenced by our friend Travis)

Then there is a little one who is using her muscles

to climb stairs at the jungle gym.

It is always a treat when I get home

to a little boy waiting

and waving

Then today we had tons of fun at the playground

in the sand

she is barefoot and not really into the sand.

Up close I realize we are looking the same:

me and this little pumpkin.

I will say this is how I happily spend a

Saturday morning.
Back at the house we had a jam session/show/ play with tickets.

India is a natural

and so I am convinced

they need to hit the road together.

All the songs and stories and funny quotes has me

really wanting an audio recorder.

(joe…hint, hint)

We are looking forward to February

and there are only a few more days until someone has

her first birthday.

a baby girl who talks way more than her brothers did at this age.

She has become fascinated with watching folks on phones

and now she is practicing on her own.

She has also been standing a ton

so that means we lowered her crib in fear that she would jump out.

They like carrying her and then hugging her together,

making a “baby sandwich.”

She is quickly finding herself snuggled up with Henry

like tonight at story time

and when I think she is being smothered

she giggles and I know she really loves it.

Everyone is back in school, which also means back around the germs, and I am thankful that they are adjusting to the breathing treatments. I hate how shaky the medicine makes them, but I also noticed they are stuffed up and coughing in their sleep. Like the doctor said, I am administering the doses at the first symptons and I just pray for no hospital trips.

The weather cleared up

so we decided to go to Downtown Los Angeles.

This included the tiled streets of Olvera Street where

there is so much to take in.

Thankfully our boys find themselves laughing at the same strange findings

I couldn’t resist buying Olivne her first set of bangles.

Then it was crepes for lunch.

Joe had espresso in the cutest cup ever.

Then we saw the famous one man band,

where he dedicated a song to Paul and Henry

and I found a brand new (to me) macaroon shop in Little Tokyo

with flavors like pistachio, rose, and salted caramel.

We spent some time wandering through the Japanese American Museum.

A place to visit and be reminded of a history closely tied to our family.

Then without naps we headed straight to Elijah’s second birthday party

where the favors were a cute photo of him and a lotto ticket (yahoo).

On our way home, with kids passed out from the hours spent in the jumpy house

we swung by our local coffee shop where my co-worker mentioned the ice cream sandwich truck would be.

She was totally right and it was totally the same guys making cookie sandwiches at the party two weeks ago.

They remembered me and hooked me up with a free sandwich flavored eggnog with bourbon and toffee pieces on graham cracker cookie.