Day with Jack and Kate

Emily let me sleep until 7. That was nice.

Came down and the kids were eating breakfast. Kate turned and smiled at me. Jack was already leaving the table but he at least glanced my way.

Jack and Kate watched a Backyardigans while I drank coffee and checked my email.

Emily went to work. Kate brought me the Eric Carle book with the big gorilla on it, Head to Toe or something like that. I read it to her.

I had breakfast. Jack and Kate had a second breakfast. Jack had two more bowls of cereal. It's crazy. If you give him a big bowl, he doesn't finish it. Give him a small bowl, and he'll eat 3 or 4 of them. Both ate strawberries. They like strawberries.

We went upstairs and got dressed, Kate in sweats, Jack in clothes he picked out. He did well. Emily tells me that one day last week he picked out an outfit of sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, and an orange floral print Hawaiian shirt over it. Classic.

Went out for Jack's haircut. There was no line so Jack (who'd wanted me to read him a book at the barber, as we usually do) got to go right away. I told him I'd read a book after.

Kate walked all around the barber shop, again and again. Pausing at the barber chair each time to gaze up at Jack. The kindly old barber, Mr. Ruvo, stooped down to say hi to her. She looked at him for a long moment and then came right over to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. Oh well.

I read Kate books while Mr. Ruvo continued to cut. At one point Jack appeared to be joking with him, making small talk, I don't know. Just like a regular customer. It was funny. Then Mr. Ruvo said something to make him laugh. Jack has a great laugh.

After his haircut, when Jack climbed down from the chair, Kate wanted to climb up. When I pulled her away, she wailed. Wants to do everything just like her big brother.

I read Jack his book, a pretty lame version of "Billy Goats Gruff."

At home, we had lunch. Yogurt and avocado and ham for Kate. Hotdog and yogurt and an apple for Jack.

Kate went down for a nap, Jack watched "Cars." Daddy worked for an hour and then watched the end of the movie with Jack.

Kate woke up. We played upstairs a little, in all three rooms. Just ran around, me reading books every once in a while, or stopping Kate from banging on something with a toy or plastic toothbrush holder or Emily's contact lens case. She likes to bang things.

Came downstairs. I took a huge strip of paper off of Jack's easel and lay it on the floor. Gave Jack and Kate markers. We drew for a little bit. I drew my staples: dog, shark, dinosaur. Jack drew a happy face. Kate scrawled all over the paper, the floor, her clothes, whatever happened to be within reach.

Snacktime. Apples. Goldfish. Milk. I admit I don't know why I haven't had goldfish more often these past couple of decades. They're good!

Piggyback rides for the kids. I learned that Kate doesn't really understand the concept of an equal number of turns, and that even if she goes first, she also has to go last. And that she never wants the game to end even if Daddy's back is starting to ache painfully. Jack at least understands that, no doubt because he sees the tears of agony rolling down my cheeks. What can I say, the kids get heavy after a while. Plus there's the stress of running stooped over so I don't whack anyone's head on the doorframe.

Mommy comes home. Daddy goes to get pizza and opens a bottle of wine.

Dinner, hide and seek before bed, baths, story time, songs, good night.

A good day.