Kids at Home, Birthday, Etc.

Birthday today. Stunningly, Jack and Kate both slept in. Jack came in a little after 7. He had a broad grin on his face, almost incredulous. "I just woke up!" he said. He got into bed and I hugged him.

I got lots of handmade birthday cards. Kate's been doing this thing where she uses lots of different colors to make circles and dots on the page. She called it a rainbow once I think. Jack made me a card with some kind of sea monster on it, then another with "an electric panel." I said, piano? He said, slowly so I could understand, "PANEL."

Got munchkin donuts for everyone. They disappeared quickly. I maybe got one.

We headed out to the beach. Jack and I had our usual joke where we see a sandy beach about half a mile from where we're actually going and I ask him if he wants to get out here, and he laughs and says no. He reminds me if I'm slow to ask him.

We set up shop and immediately the kids bolted for the water. We rounded them back up to lather them up with sunblock. After that, the beach was pretty much as normal, just one extra parent and three extra kids. Abbey does her steamboat swim (that's what it was called when I learned it). Mikey jumps and splashes in the water. Niamh seemed happy to be cool at last; it's been ridiculously hot here.

All the kids wore swim goggles, so Jack wanted a pair too; there were extras. He then was extra brave about putting his face in the water, which was nice to see.

At one point, Kate slipped in the water. Robin lifted her out. Kate cried for a while, but then rallied. Niamh related how Kate described the accident. "I was in the water and then I was down there (pointing) and then I was up. I not crying any more!" Sometimes she does a long, stream-of-consciousness talk that's pretty funny.

We got chicken nuggets, hotdogs, fries, juice boxes. I think we were hungrier than the kids were. They wanted to go back in the water.

Back at home, we cranked the air conditioner and watched Toy Story II.

Pizza, football ice cream cake, blueberry pie. More homemade cards. Abbey almost missed dinner while spending about half an hour on her card; it showed. Jack, in addition to his card, made two construction paper turtles, big and small. The Daddy and the baby turtle. He said he knew I liked turtles.

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I put Jack to bed, it was pretty hot in his room. After reading to him, lying down for songs, I said to him, I can't stay long, it's too hot for me. Jack said, "Well, we don't have to hug. You can just lay with me."

So I did.


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Friday, most of us kind of slept lousy. Jack ended up switching rooms with Emily, because he was hot or having bad dreams or both, and keeping Niamh up. I shared the bed with him. For a small guy he moves around a lot in bed. He seemed rested in the morning. Me, not so much.

Waking up, he made his monkey (currently one of his two favorite stuffed toys) bounce around on the bed. Then I made it dance. Jack laughed.

We set up and played the Lego game. Mikey won the first game, Jack the second. I did not win any games.

Went to the playground. We were there maybe 10 minutes when the ice cream truck showed up. So much for the playground. Got some great pictures of the kids inhaling their ice cream. Much ice cream got onto faces and hands, but at least I talked Kate out of the Dora ice cream and into a strawberry eclair, my favorite as a kid if memory serves. Jack had one shaped like Iron Man's head.

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After Robin and the kids left today, Kate was napping and I was setting up the new Lego game with Jack. I said, I miss Robin already.

Jack said, "Did you hug her goodbye?" I said yes.

He thought about it for a minute, then said, "Well, maybe you should get on the computer and send her a hug."

I said, well, that's a good idea. I can't right now though.

"Because you promised you'd play the Lego game with me?"

That's right, Jack.