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arthur and jessica just got into a 5 minute disagreement as to which baby arthur was trying to make smile. It's Bailey, its netta, its bailey. no, its netta. --sent from my handheld device--

BULLSHIT. Say it with me: Bullshit. I am having trouble catching the girls in their drowsy-and-not-overtired stage lately and have been having a terrible time with their naps. Every time they wake up after I've put them down I say, "Bullshit!" (or "Fucking shit"). Today was especially bad because I didnt sleep so well last night. No fault of the babies this time, though. They're great at night. I just had a lot on my mind. Anyway, I had to get to Walgreens to pick up a prescription this morning and I was going to go even though, of all times for me to have planned to walk with the girls, it was raining. My few outings with the double stroller have been pretty good. The girls are generally soothed by the bumping and the stroller even handles the snow fairly well, but they were not soothed today. I didn't care. I pushed two screaming babies four blocks to the pharmacy and walked an extra block to get them asleep before I entered the store. They...

I honestly didn't set this up. I think it's Bailey. So funny!

(those fingernails are now trimmed....)

Check it out - I asked Art to draw a picture of me for my birthday and he did it on the iPad. Is the first of many birthday present that will be digital in contruction and presentation? Talk about intangible! (as you can see, I am wearing my winter hat in this portrait...)

Bailey. Netta. Netta. Bailey's at left. Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rui6toxjq3c?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&w=480&h=385]

Today, December 26th, is Jessica's birthday. As you might expect, I'm very happy she was born. I love her and respect her so much. She's the center of our little familial universe, our rock. I miss her sometimes with all these kids, but I also know we have a lifetime together to ripen. TO LIFELONG RIPENING! Special delivery of the coconut cake Jessica loved so much as a child (not the exact same one...).

I have time to post these photos and write a little because I'm at work (had to work Christmas eve and day this year. Not fun but also nice having a job!). The thing I miss most is the tasty food being eaten at the house as I write this. Anyway, this was the first year the idea of Santa Claus really took hold with Arthur (and even Lewis). And we did nothing to stop it. My friend at work gave me three big quality Tonka trucks his kids had outgrown and we were hiding them downstairs in a basement closet for Christmas. The other night we were playing hide and seek and Lewis hid in a closet. After I found him I picked him up but he was snagged on something. His arm seemed to be stuck. It had a tight hold of a big Tonka truck. "I want that truck, Paha," he pleaded. I had to gently pry his hand off the thing and told him it was a surprise from Santa Claus for Christmas and that he'd have to wait. For some reason he didn't protest. When I helped him pee in the middle of ...

Bailey smiling.

This is actually representational art as well, made by Art. It is a "snowball machine" which pushes snow. The red zig-zapgs on the bottom are springs and there is a "pusher" in there that propels the snowball into the sky. I think the red circly-blob on the bottom right is the "biggest snowball ever" and the black squiggle protruding up from it is some other part of the machine.  He had explainations for every part of it and had drawn several versions.  This version also has a man in it.  I'm not sure that the man is operating the machine or not.  He might just be hanging out near it.

Many people know that I am always so desperate to see how my kids will represent their world artistically. And those people also know that I am STARVED for anything representational. Art is extremely timid about making things that are supposed to look like anything. But last night he made this playdough "noodle sandwich". Then I helped him choose an extruder that would make french fries. Both kids were dressed up for this playdough session and Lewis wanted me to take a picture of him in his skirt. Here are the two strange children with the noodle sandwich.

Today Jessica was carrying two fussy babies for quite a while. At one point I came upstairs as she was rocking a crying baby in hopes of getting her to sleep. "Would nursing help her calm down?" I asked. "This fucker won't nurse down," she said, at which point I immediately knew I had a great title for a blog post. We both had a good laugh.

that's what Art just said. --sent from my handheld device--

Netta.

I found this plumber pear at the grocery store the other day (and posted a silly photo of it on Facebook ). While at work the next day Jessica found him in the fruit basket and put him to work (and took this wonderful photo). I laugh out loud every time I look at this photo!

Lewis wanted to help me make dinner the other night but the only thing left to do was chop the broccoli. I gave him a butter knife so he could at least feel like he was doing something but that was not satisfying enough. But he figured out a way to really help cut up the broccoli. "I'm chopping it with mine mouth." Here's a very funny (an old Dana Carvey SNL skit) in honor of Lewis' new-found skill: http://www.hulu.com/embed/jF0DkSFdyMk9AkSZ0dvOZw

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Maz6aN7uqc?hd=1&w=640&h=390]

Adria has been such an invaluable help in growing these little girls. She comes over many times each week to help Jessica when I'm at work. Feeding babies, changing babies, rocking babies (her favorite), cooking tasty dinners, tidying, playing with Arthur and Lewis, keeping Jessica company with some rare adult conversation, it goes on and on. Often when I come home Jessica tells me little delightful stories about how Bubbe reacts at various chaotic moments in the evening. She's a natural and (as Jessica has said many times) she's wonderful to have around. On behalf of all six us, thanks for helping us so much, Bubbe. We love you enormously! Ben-Jess-Art-Lew-Bailey-Netta. Bubbe holds Bailey.

Netta (I think) being bathed by Art and Lew.

[editors note, gackoo=pacifier] Tonight Lewis decided he was going to play a game with his gackoo and me, throwing it down from the top bunk and I was supposed to get it.  Then he came down and sat with me on the rug and said, "We share mine gackoo!  I have a turn and then you have a turn.  (Sucks on gackoo then hands it to me.)  Here, Mama.  Put it in your mouth!"  Just like passing a joint.

Jessica and I worked hard yesterday to get some smiling photos of our girls. They smile periodically and unpredictably and certainly not on demand. Here's some photos from our first attempt. Netta smiling. BOTH babies smiling!

Today was Art's five-year-old appointment - - with SHOTS!  He was pretty newvous about the shots but he went to the appointment and didn't bolt or anything.  I told him that wa brave , because being brave means doing something even though you are scared.   Art is 3' 11.5" tall and 50lbs.  92nd percentile for weight, 99th for height.  He has already commented that he is the tallest in whole world.  Anyway, he did his flu nasal mist, no problem, and then got ready for the first of three shots in his thigh.  He cried and nuzzled into me saying that he didn't want the other ones.  "I don't want it to go into my skin!" he cried.  But I held him and the nurse braced his knee with her leg so she could pop the other two in.  After that first one I knew we had to power through right then or we'd never get him back for the others.  He did it!  He picked cherry favored gummy slices for his treat and hid them from Lewis when he got home.   Good job, Art!  Y...

Not really. But starting today I'm now able to sell copies of my 2009 Ant Farm books for only $10 each (list price is $27.95). The friendly publisher Norton Stillman just unloaded a bunch on me for cheap. Anyway, Christmas presents anyone? I'm happy to sign and ship them to whomever (add $3 for shipping). Thanks for your attention, Ben ps--the book is a compilation of documentary photography and interviews done as part of a column at the Pioneer Press. Some of the photos are posted below and a few complete columns are posted here . http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

My brother josh came over to help finish off a couple tunnels in the snow bank in front of our house. Art came in this morning after crawling through one. "Papa, every time I go in the tunnel I get snow on my head."

Just a little note about the girls, since they are emerging from their blob-phase.  They can smile!  We haven't figured out the trick to getting them to do it which is why we haven't gotten a picture, but we're working on it.  And I think Bailey will be cooing soon since she has started to make what seem to be accidental sounds now and then that are not  crying or snorting so it would seem that she will start playing with that eventually. But I must admit that until recently I thought of them more as a two-headed baby than as two different babies.  So much of their care is simultaneous like nursing and and rocking and even diapering (I usually have both of them on the changing pad at once) and when they were completely unresponsive socially it kind of felt like I was just lugging around one unit with lots of limbs.  But now they are heavier and awake more often and I actually spend time looking into their awake eyes during the day so they are becoming two babies.  Look ev...

It really is pretty extraordinary playing in this snow. everything is just so deep and big. The boys 'helped' me shovel today, which took a super long time. I made a couple tunnels in the snow bank which I hope to connect together tomorrow. Lewis is just light enough to walk on top most of the snow but every once in a while a leg breaks through and disappears. "Help me, Paha!" Arthur crawling down out unshoveled front steps.

I just finished telling Jessica how impressed I was this morning when she grabbed the camera and said she wanted to go outside and take photos of the snow. Not because of what she did (although she did make  some really nice photos...), but because it's rare she's able or willing to just up and put herself first. And she did. She ditched me with some fidgedy babies and a slightly grumpy Art and Lew and left out the front door. Jessica, I really do hope you find more ways to do that! Here's the product of her labor: Our neighbor Carolyn's truck. Here's an email (used with permission!) that Jessica wrote my mother in Arkansas about teh weather "I must admit your weather sounds boring.  I took some content-only photos (light and composition totally boring but high snow somewhat amazing) and you will see snow that reaches within inches of our railing on the front steps.  A snow drift that towers over my neighbor's truck and our backyard tables buried deep....

Three women on two feet!

It's true, it's a HUGE snowstorm, the biggest I've been in and certainly the biggest for the kids. Although Jessica was around for the famous Halloween snowstorm in '91, something almost any Minnesotan will eagerly tell you all about. We're expected to get 15-20 inches by the time it's over late tonight. The winds are howling, it's officially a blizzard. It took nearly an hour to shovel out my car. I had to shovel an actual driveway of sorts towards the barely plowed road to make it out. It was higher than my waist in spots.

I brought the camera with me to Netta and Bailey's two month check-up today but it's just too crazy to try and take a picture while you're holding babies, making babies naked, redressing babies, soothing babies after shots and talking about babies' health.  And healthy they are!  Doctor had no concerns.  She was impressed to hear they are all breast-fed and went home with me from the hospital.  (Sometimes I feel bad for twins in general, getting this bad rap that they are all early, tiny and formula supplemented.  I have already met several twin moms who breast-fed their full-term, healthy weight twins.  But I digress...)   So!  The stats. Despite the fact that Netta will often sneak in an extra feeding during the day, she was just a half ounce heavier than Bailey at 10 lbs 2.5oz.  (I can't believe she has gained 3 oz shy of four pounds!)  That makes her in the 33rd percentile for weight, while Bailey is just 32nd at 10lb 2oz.  Bailey!  You have catching up to d...

A trio--Art on Trumpet, Jess on Piano and Lewis on harmonica. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRQJbhgeiQg?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH3HN4wPeb0?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shFkQzIXs-0?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385]

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

The kids adore their Uncle Josh. When Art and Lew returned this morning from sledding with him Art told a long story about how they were sledding and they didn't see it but before they could stop they hit a ramp and flew threw the air. He was so proud and described in great detail how Lewis wiped out but he didn't and everyone was OK.