swear to goodness

Okay, I just went looking for kids to kiss goodnight.

I found a bunch. All good.

Then I asked where Tim was? How about Julia?

They're sleeping with the legos.

Oh, puh-leeze. Really?

Yeah.

So it's all quiet as I cross the dark family room and head downstairs--and encounter Tim standing in the dim light in front of a microwave oven--the cast off one Little Jay brought home from college.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking pizza rolls."

"Pizza rolls at 11:05 on a Sunday night?"

"I don't know what time it is."

"Where's Julia?"

"In the bathroom. We're going to work on the lego ship and then the pirates."

I can see lego shit spread out far and wide. A fishing program is on TV.

Sigh. I asked, "So who is sleeping?"

"Nobody. Well maybe you guys."

At that point he was taking the pizza rolls out and I came upstairs. After I take a bath here, I'll attempt to impose some order again.

What the heck? Who are these people? love, Val

where did the weekend go?

Not sure, but it's gone.

It was daylight savings, gotta spring ahead, you know? Which means all at once Saturday Night Live was over and it was 1:17am.

And I had to get up for an appointment in the morning.

Okay, that'll scare you. Get in bed! Now! Quick! It's tomorrow already!

Anyway, we had a birthday party for James, and it was very, very loud.

that kid on the left hand side of the couch is z.z., a friend of ours



yes, him

and him

these guys--they're eating chicken divan, not as weird as it looks on a plate.


well, yeah this guy

and these two

opening gifts

okay, we had one of these balls before, and it was like a swiffer to dog hair. at some point i washed it, which ruined it--worse, if possible. sticky. nasty. who invented these? they're sort of cool, but also a mess.


The new baby and her mom and dad are doing well.

Happy Sunday night. love, Val

who knew?

Okay, last night when I got home, there were Tim and Julia asleep in the bed in Tim's room. Asleep!

Since Heidi and Joe went back home, they've been camping in their room--that big room below the family room. I hear them at 1 am still laughing and building legos. They're eating snacks, watching Nickelodeon, no discipline whatsoever.

I have to tell them to get to bed. "You people have to function tomorrow! Good night already!"

But I think they wait until I'm gone and continue the lego party.

Eventually they sleep in a pile of sleeping bags and pillows, then snooze half the morning too.

Well, last night there they were, in a proper bed, lights off, sleeping.

Sleeping! At a normal time!

I asked Jay, "When is Julia ever going to sleep in her own bed? What is her deal?"

Jay laughed, "They came running upstairs about 10:00 and jumped in that bed. Something about a spider."

A spider. A tiny wisp of an arachnid drove them from the lego party.

His eyes met mine and we knew we were thinking the same thing.

There was devilish laughter.

I told Jay we could be strategically using spiders to our advantage--put one near the Moo Jrs, another one by the scotch tape. Definitely we should put a couple near my personal stash of diet Coke.

We have found their weakness.

love, Val

this man is fourteen

Had to even check the spelling on that.

Fourteen.


Fourteen YEARS of him.


Lucky, lucky us.

Thank you Jimmy for everything you bring to life around this damned house, for your good nerves, your patience, kindness, and sense of humor.


As happy as we were to meet you, we are happy to know you still.




No idea where the future leads or what life holds, but it's going to be fun to find out.

In the whole world, there's nobody like you--never ever has been.



love you like crazy, Mom

oh my

Today the address is 4820 Babyland, it's true.

Here we've got this guy spending the day. He watched PBS, loves that super-duper obnoxious Sid the Science Kid, and super-adorable Curious George, and then took a nap on Couch Potato Uncle James.


He ate a Moo Jr. pausing at each bite to throw his head back and laugh delightedly. Oh yeah, Moo Jrs? Pretty damned amazing, aren't they?

The kids were excited to meet their niece, and Joe and Heidi were revived a bit today after some sleep.





And this tonight: Morgan, Heidi and Joe's dog did this. When we saw it, we gasped.

Maria said, "You know what Grandpa would say."

Really? My dad? The possibilities are endless, "What would he say?"

"I never liked that rug anyway."


Oh, how I laughed. Yes, that's exactly what he'd say, and it's even true. The backing is long gone from this rug. It slides around too much, gonna kill somebody. It was only there temporarily because the front door rug bit the dust from salt and we had to pull in a substitute. Trash it is.

This has been a Tuesday beyond splendid. Life is awesome, not gonna lie. love, Val

heidi and joe's baby, for real

This little girl was born yesterday, late in the afternoon.


Here she and Maria are, checking each other out. See how Maria's holding her face to face, copying the baby's expression? There's a name for that, though I can't remember. It's wired into how we relate to babies, and I love that. They both know exactly how to do it, though neither one is aware.

Auntie Kirby--giddy us. She and I have been waiting to meet this BABY, crazy with anticipation.

with Grandpa at midnight

Here's the note I sent my friends last night. It says it all:

"The baby is born, a little GIRL baby. Her middle name is my mother's name. I cried. I'm doing that a lot lately. I wonder if Heidi's hormones are airborne or something.

The child is 8 1/2 pounds, lovely newborn, tiny little diamond shaped lips, big dark eyes looking in the dark room, listening when I talked to her, wrapped in the blankets I sewed her. We took flowers, balloons, cookies.

Heidi is so tired that I wanted to give the baby to Jay and rock her instead. Everything is great though, absolutely perfect. Love, Val"

Happy, Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.

We love you so.

Love, Grandma, and Grandpa, and all your aunties, and uncles, and cousins, and as they say on Sesame Street, all the hairy ones and all the scary ones--we all say thanks for being our girl.

the party

Finally, yesterday was the long-awaited birthday party for t.c. and l.c. and Julia was thrilled.

They host it in a place that's like a gym on one side and a kitchen and dining area on the other. There were a LOT of sweaty kids, but this is that cooped up time of winter when it feels good to run and scream.

(See the bouncer in the background. We could use one at home for blowing off steam about the end of February.)

There was kid food, sloppy joes and chips, salad, and cookies, and Dairy Queen cake.

Pretty perfect Saturday.


video games

basketball, complete with babies on the court, an extra challenge.


i have no idea what joe's helping them put together.

and no party would be complete without this guy



julia made a new friend.

Happy Birthday, you two guys. The whole family is better with YOU. love, Grandma