Does she really come in peace? I mean REALLY?

I used to love these p.j.'s on Ben. I can't believe Zoe is already outgrowing them. And the answer is yes, I think she really does come in peace. But sometimes falls to pieces if she wakes too early from a nap.

Downtime and Upside Down Time

There's usually too much to do in every moment so I pretty much never take a moment to sit, let alone LAY down during the day, even if the kids are miraculously entertaining themselves. But just this one time I thought, what the heck, I'm exhausted. Sure enough, the minute my head hit the pillow I had two friends run into the room and jump on the bed. Their faces were puzzled as if wondering whether this was some new weird and very lame game. Which they then turned into a far more fun game of throwing themselves off the bed while I got to catch them.

Footsies

To the average observer this looks like a sweet and innocent game of footsies. But to the trained eye, it is a brutal fight over territory and hierarchy within the pack. Poor Zoe leaves defeated, but she grows stronger every day and the battles, I fear will only become that much more violent.

Where's the Party?

We went to a birthday party for our neighbor's nephew (sometimes Ben and Zane play together when our neighbor babysits Zane). Zane lives on a commune in Topanga Canyon. So when we got there, the setting was so beautiful we ended up playing everywhere but the party (although Zoe had fun stuffing her face for a considerable amount of time on the low table, meant for people to sit on the floor, but convenient for a standing toddler. We might have gone off to enjoy the surroundings a bit, but don't worry, Zane wasn't left alone or anything. There were a ton of adoring people who live on the commune, so nice, so laid back, playing drums and partying it up with Zane. We had such a good time I almost joined the commune. Even Kali enjoyed the atmosphere. She especially enjoyed not being kicked out, like she is everywhere else in L.A.

It Took a Book

When Grandma comes over she usually gets the kids interested in a book right away. I'm sure she enjoys the cozy camaraderie of fighting big bad wolves with the kids, put truly it is sheer planned and orchestrated genius that motivates her actions. She has been working a long time to get them to read on their own. So soon, very soon, she will come over, toss them a book and say 'read it your own damn self. I just spent an hour on the 405. I'm tired and I need a shot of whiskey." But maybe by then, they'll be old enough to join her boozing. Despite my efforts, Ben shows no interest in learning to read. Of course, as in all things Ben, he doesn't want and he doesn't want, until all of a sudden he's doing everything he wouldn't do the day before. His teacher was amazed at his ability to dress himself completely. And I just thought, hmm, I didn't know it was a big deal for a 3 and something year old, but I guess one day he just did it and has ever since. I suspect he'll be that way about reading too.

"hiking"

The kids weren't happy when our 'hike' turned into a photo session. But hell, I wasn't happy when it turned into a 'who can find the biggest rock in the stream' competition. Oh, wait, yes I was. It's the ability to forget everything you wanted and expected to do and change to accepting and even enjoying what you are doing. The kids haven't gotten there yet as they didn't feel as Zen about my photo taking as I did about their rocks.

I can never leave them... ever

How could anyone leave this kind of joy for a desk? I'm waiting for the day they tell me they hate me. But I might even find that cute. For now, I'm glad I have a camera for a few extra bucks and tons and tons of happiness from the pics I get from these awesome kids.

Fun in the Fountains

I try to avoid alliteration whenever possible, just because it is my natural inclination to us it even though (or maybe because) it is very cliche, but as the title suggests... this is exactly what we were doing. Having fun in the fountains on a warm summer day. Well, as much fun as a control freak can have around something uncontrollable. This is not Ben's favorite place to play because the water shoots out unpredictably and the kids behavior in it is also erratic. At any moment Ben could be wet in the wrong place against his bidding. Zoe is even starting to exhibit signs of the inherited control freak gene. A boy came along and splashed in HER puddle and she was very unhappy with where the twigs and rocks were displaced. She very carefully put them back in the RIGHT place. For a while there, Zoe couldn't even SEE Kali's leash without having to put it on her and 'control' her with it. We salute both children vigilantly every morning or suffer their wrath.