Overheard

Big Brother, The Baby and I have been recovering from a cold this week. It's been kind of nice.

Wait, that didn't sound right.

What I mean is that pulling back from our regularly scheduled activities has been a breath of fresh air despite all the coughing and boogers. Monday, we took it easy. Tuesday, Big Brother stayed home from preschool and we played inside, watched videos and eventually went outside to play. By  Wednesday morning, Big Brother had gotten himself up and dressed, ate breakfast then bundled himself up to go outside by 8:00 a.m. No hounding to get moving, no threats over breakfast, no rushing out the door for preschool, no errands to run.  It was just nice. And Big Brother and Girlface played together as if they might actually like each other. (Next week, I'm expecting World War III.)

And without further ado ...
Mom, come see, there's a mess. Um, I'd rather not. But thanks for the update.

What's wrong, Mom?
I'm sick.
You need to sleep, he says, nodding his head.
Oh, if only you all would let me.


I went to sleep and woke up and it's still not my birthday. Ooooohhhhh. It's going to be a long month here. His birthday is December 1.

It's not coming off, Big Brother says of the bite mark that Girlface left on his hand.

Something's sticking in my butt. It's a pine cone, Big Brother says. Oh joy. The 4-year-old potty talker has arrived.

Here, Fi, put this in your purse, I say when Girlface brings me her purse. We ladies put lots of junk we don't need in there. At that moment, four scrunchies, a baby sock, a medical receipt, a cell phone, one Sea Band, one pen, my midwife's business card, an expired driver's license, a birthday party invitation, about 10 grocery receipts and some cracker crumbs were floating around my purse.

Owie, you're going to try a little something tonight that we like to call sleeping. It's fun, it's easy and it makes people like you better, 'kay? Good thing babies don't get sarcasm. Or maybe they do. He laughed at me when I said this.

I think my prayers were answered, Jim tells me.  ... I got home today and Big Brother had no voice. Big Brother, who is incapable of speaking in a normal, non-whiny voice, has been sick with a cold this week. We're so sad for him.

Big Brother, don't wipe your nose with your spoon. This kid has also managed to wipe his nose on the waistband of his underpants.

Oh, and I just must share this little incident:

I heard The Baby laughing hysterically in our bedroom while I was in the laundry closet. I came in to find The Baby on his back and Girlface straddling him. He thought it was hilarious. I was terrified. Those two have a little thing going on.