Friday morning blog in real-time

6:30: I wake up to the squeaking noise of Kate shaking the bars of her crib. I'm thrilled that it's 6:30 rather than 5:30, and also that she's not wailing. I kick Emily out of bed because hey, I'll be here all day and I'm also sick.

7:00: Feel better after coffee and Advil. Emily has gone to shower, I'm giving Kate the rest of her breakfast. She likes our cereal, of course.

7:15: Jack is up. I feed his fish, then he comes downstairs. Kate sits on my lap and Jack sits next to me as I read her Backyardigans book, set under the ocean with the characters deep sea divers and mermaids. Whenever she sees a fish, Kate points excitedly. "Feesh! Feesh!"

7:45: Jack has breakfast, including three kinds of cereal (I used to cap him at 2, but it didn't seem a a battle worth having) and "green cantelope" (honeydew melon).

8:00: Kids playing. Kate starts making a big Lego tower and Jack brings out play-dough, which means soon Kate will also be playing with play-dough and it will be stuck to the rug before long. But hey, they're playing.

8:05: Jack: "Look, Daddy, we're playing nicely together!"

8:10: "Sorry, Daddy, but we're kind of getting play-dough on the rug."

8:20: Kate hits Jack. Jack says, "Noooooo...." I say, "Kate, don't hit Jack. Say you're sorry." Kate says, "Soss-ah." I say to Jack, Kate said she was sorry. Jack says, "No she didn't, she said 'Sah-Sah."

8:45: Jack is walking around with the ladybug blanket over his head. "I'M A MONSTER!!!!!!" he growls.

8:50: Now he's just Jack again. "I scared the monster away," he explains.

9:15: Jack is making a gift for his cousins with stickers on construction paper. Very nice. Granted, they're Kate's sticker, but she doesn't seem to mind.

9:30: Jack is playing with small Legos. Kate wants to go upstairs to get Peppa Pig's family.

9:45: Kate breaks one of Jack's Lego constructions. Jack wails. "Jack, she just wants to play with you." Small consolation for him, I guess.

9:55: Jack runs by with a Lego battleship he's made. Impressive. Kate runs by, chasing him, wailing. She looks at me in protest. "Waaaaahhhh!" As if to say, he's hogging those Legos! Make him stop!

10:15: Jack wants to watch TV; I'm thrilled he's waited this long to ask. I sell him on Sesame Street. Both sit on the couch, glued to Elmo and Maria the Cowgirl singing songs. I finish this blog and get more coffee.