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Jessica had to come to St. Paul yesterday so she stopped by the Capitol, my new office for the session, to visit with Netta and Bailey. It was so fun to share my life up here with them and see these two tiny girls walking around among important legislators. At one point we rode the elevator and she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Paul Thissen, the DFL speaker of the house, one of the most powerful people up here. I chuckled that I wish I had a camera to take a photo of her standing next to the speaker. Thissen chuckled and Jessica looked surprised.

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Jessica Parker Garvin" Subject: help! > Netta is being eaten by a monster!!! > > Jessica

I think she's finally learning how to email photos with her phone!

My mother took these photos a couple weeks ago when she was in town of the kids wearing stuff she gave them. Lewis' new backpack: Netta wearing a sweater my mother artfully made from two different sweaters: Netta wearing this super cute homemade hate. And from the looks of it Bailey came over to get in on a photo here: And the Artist with her subject

I pried these off in his sleep and his poor little hands were real sweaty.

I have had two deep thoughts lately that I would like to share here.  One is about why I one day looked at the girls and thought they were truly two of the best things that ever happened to me and the other thought is about the connection between table manners and socialism. First the political thought, which actually is inspired by family issues.  I was raised with old fashioned table manners and there are a few things that are just non-negotiable at the table, in my mind.  We were taught to use our knife and fork with our fingers as folcrums, rather than holding the fork like a vertical spear while cutting around it.  Cutting that way garnered a firm, "Jessica, don't eat like a Barbarian!" from my dad.  We were admonished for bringing our faces too close to our plate or ever chewing with our mouths open.  (When I was too little to chew with my mouth closed gracefully my sister called me "Cow Chewer".)  It wasn't even a question that you were sittin...

We have always delighted in pulling Art's pants up high. Even when he was too young to realize why it might be funny he would laugh just because we were laughing. The other day I pulled up his slightly oversized pajamas and took this picture. Netta was watching closely and, because she loves little more than imitating what the older folks are doing, she insisted I yank her pants up, too and I took this. There you have it.

Last week we ALL went roller skating during skate-night at Arthur's school. Basically the whole school came out to roller skate just for the hell of it. Fun and loud and chaotic and mostly fun. The stroller proved to be a great roller-skating-aid for Art and Lewis and, as seen here, Evva.

So I did:

As I wrote on Facebook just now: Thanks for the nice birthday notes (I'm feeling an appropriate amount of shame and guilt for rarely posting happy birthday notes on friends' walls). For the record, I had a lovely day (off) today. Lewis (4) and I went swimming at the Y. When I returned to the locker room after getting my goggles Lewis had disappeared entirely. Then heard a muffled "bloo!" And then another. He had stuffed himself i nto a locker and was terrifically proud of himself as I freed him. Another highlight was when Arthur (7) and Lewis were playing outside together in the snow. Lewis came in cause he was cold and Art stayed outside by himself. I loved secretly watching him through the window as he kicked snow, sat down and ate some, threw chunks of it across the yard. He was enjoying some peace and solitude all by his little 7-year-old self, a moment of his boyhood I loved observing. The last highlight worth sharing. Jessica made me a little coupon book as a gi...

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

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