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Every once in a while we'll find Netta and Bailey both tucked under our buffet in the dining room. Sometimes we'll have to pluck a stuck baby out, but often they'll stay tucked under there for a quite some time, banging instruments or just enjoying feeling a little squeezed and secret. Who wouldn't?

I was home alone with Netta and Bailey, a rare thing as of late (Jessica had taken boys somewhere). After their nap I walked in (as they were chattering together, something that is really endearing and fun) and immediately ran downstairs to grab my camera. The light! I took way too many photos and am posting the first of a few here. Don't they look identical? I think they very well could be, and I say this in part cause it makes me feel less bad when i can't tell them apart. Which I can't lately. It's so difficult for me. Art is even better--I had to ask him the other day who I was holding. Bailey. Netta. Netta, left, and Bailey.

Jessica brought the children over to St. Paul today to visit their Papa but also to see the tail end of a Winter Carnival parade and see some pretty spectacular ice sculptures. An ice machine of some sort. Hard to see here but super detailed. Art goes a little 'Guantanamo' on Netta during dinner at Subway. Running around the newsroom. Arthur and Lewis crawled under many desks. Bailey tries to file a story. Netta meets fellow photographer friend and colleague (and mama of two) Sherri. 

Some photos from Lewis' preschool Willow. From top left clockwise: Anika, Oscar, Lewis and Anthony.

Netta, left, and Bailey at the kids' museum.

My mother was in town last week. She drove up from Arkansas and even brought a birthday cake (hummingbird) she made for Jessica's birthday. She told me about it on the phone before coming and cried a little and about Jessica's mother not being able to make a cake for her. It was really thoughtful and loving gesture, thanks Ma. The boys decorated the cake (clearly), and Lewis asked for a piece with lots of sprinkles. Nanna brought up a bunch of clay from a studio she makes pots in in Arkansas. The boys had real fun making little coil pots and, as seen here, experimenting with textures. Mama and Lewis work on a puzzle together.

In going through some stuff at work I found this video from our vacation to New Smyrna Beach in Florida a couple years ago. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOa22CFsfsg&w=640&h=360]

Photo credit: Aunt Emily

For work recently I photographed a weird event called Crashed Ice in St. Paul. Not really a sport, mostly and advertising thing for Red Bull. But that said, it was pretty spectacular and fun. Basically it was a steep, winding ice sheet for skaters. Many were injured and someone backed out after realizing how scary the thing was. I took a number of videos and photos, including these aerial photographs that received a great deal of attention (local media writer David Brauer interviewed me about it). As soon as I landed I tweeted my favorite photo and it blew up from there. I admit the photos were pretty cool, but in some ways it's too bad I got so much attention for images that we more a product of planning and execution than true journalism. But that's just the way these things happen and I'll certainly soak up the limelight while it's on me! http://photo.twincities.com/ssp/m/embed.js SlideShowPro({ attributes: { id: "album-4733", width: 700, he...

I just watched, my mouth agape with disbelief, as Netta walkedinto the kitchen with a Kleenex in her hand, opened the trash cabinet and dropped the tissue in. -- Jessica

We took everyone over to our favorite park today for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. And it was just that. A real celebration, a community event filled with good feeling and expression. Captive audience. Hip hop dancers, Jessica favorite part. An expressive and superfun young gospel choir. Jessica and Lewis, African drumming.

Apparently there was some discussion about Martin Luther King, Jr in Art's kindergarten class.  He explained to me that MLK changed a lot of things.  "Right?"  His explaination of one of the things King changed went something like this: "Well, you know how people who are black have to sit in the front of the bus and people who are white sit in the back of the bus?  Well, it didn't always used to be like that.  It used to be that people who were black had to sit in the back of the bus and people who were white had to sit in the front of the bus.  Now people can sit wherever they want...  But I always sit in the front of the bus." Apparently all these people were riding school buses.

They're hot and sniffly and unhappy. I'm downstairs and just got this email from Jessica on her iPad upstairs as she lays with Bailey: "I have a baby wrapped around my neck. I feel like i'm wearing a breathing neckbrace."

Tonight as I was getting the kids into their pajamas Bailey came over holding a pair of underwear, "Eh? eh? eh?" she'd say, which has become both babies general sound for need and/or want. It was clear to me, she wanted to wear Lewis' underwear. And then the socks. And then a shirt. "eh eh?" She was playing dress up! In this photo she came holding ANOTHER pair of underwear, which I was happy to put on. And then Lewis started jumping for the hell of it, something he does often. "Take a picture of me jumping, Papa!"

Bubbe died about six months ago. It's been along time ago, about 20% of Lewis' life actually. I often wonder how much he'll remember her, or if he will. But tonight, as we were playing in the basement he saw Emmit walk by, Bubbe's cat. He remembered how much she loved him and then said thoughtfully, "Papa, what if Bubbe could transform back into real life?" That would be really great, Lewis.

Jessica wanted me to let everyone know she unplugged the toaster...

A couple days ago Arthur suddenly realized he really wanted to play racquetball with Josh, something he had done once before a year ago. So he called Josh and left him a message. And then sat around for a few hours periodically wondering if Josh had heard the message yet. And then eventally, yes! He called and took Art off to play. And then today, a day after playing, Art sat down and wrote Josh this email: hi josh  kan i pla racetbul ugan? art

Here is a story Lewis told to me today.  I took it down word for word. "Once upon a time there was a dragon and then he became a knight and then he found a feather and then he became a dragon again and then he made some soup and then the soup became an Arthur and then the Arthur became a dragon and then he rided a scooter and then he wanted to be a mountain climber and then he really was mountain climber and then he wanted LUNCH.  And then he goed back in his cave and he saw his mother and his dad and his babies.  And then he wanted to stand on something with wheels.  And then he taked a sword and a shield and then he put it in the toilet and then he flushed it and then he got all of the strings off the shield and then the strings became ice cream and then I didn't know any more to say." This story was told in the dining room where Lewis could see the girls' ride-on scooter, a couple of dragon/knight books, some peg boards with rubber bands stretched on them and hi...

Netta just gave Bailey a kiss and Bailey giggled and gave her a hug. -- Jessica

I woke up and turned to Jessica, “I just had an extraordinary dream.” I was on a rocky cliff at the ocean’s edge. It was dusk. I was with friends and family and strangers. There was a growing sense of danger, a feeling that we were all going to die. Then, on the horizon, we saw a huge train speeding across the ocean at us. And with it, a tsunami. There was going to be a massive catastrophe and death was inescapable. I was somehow aware our experience was being collectively broadcast and felt by people around the world. There was international television coverage and everyone was tuned in. They, too, knew their death was moments away. The tsunami perhaps, or something else would kill us all. There wasn't just a fear of death--there was a certainty of it. On the rocky cliff I watched in horror as the train plummeted towards us. The rocks were sharp and slippery, it was impossible to run. A split second before the train and tsunami hit I hurled myself into the water in an attempt to e...

My mother bought us a membership for Christmas and we've already gone a couple times. These are some photos from last week when we took Netta and Bailey for their first time. There's an especially fun little room designed for toddlers to crawl and explore. Climbing the ladder. Art was constantly transferring his sisters from different areas to show them this or that.  Bailey. Lewis, building.