Some of us had been threatening our friend Colby

That is the title of a nice little Donald Barthleme Story, I think Colby ends up hung by his friends. But it was for a good reason, Colby was no longer fully participating in the group community...or at least not participating to his highest level.

I have received a lot of comment on this blog from many different people. Much more comment than I expected. Colby seems like a nice model for my last entry.

Apparently people felt it was depressing and sad that I had complaints about being a parent. And that was sort of the point. Parents are not really allowed to complain...or they are allowed to complain copiously within a narrow band of comments, "We are tired." "S/he is fussy (teething, has an ear ache, growth spurt, bratty)" but they are not really allowed to track their actual emotions...emotions that might not fit the reality of their child... and impressions of parenthood.

Nyssa is great, she is clingy and demanding, and funny and smart. She cares alot about Leila and is extraordinarily sweet to her and she tries to poke her head in and pull on her arms and legs. It is a learning process, a both/and.

Someone said it was sad that I wrote I didn't have the same glow as I did with Nyssa. And it is a little sad, but all I meant was this time is different. Nyssa was a much more difficult baby to deal with than Leila, and that glow allowed me to trudge happily through it. Having 2 children is exponentially more difficult than having one, and it is really important that Leila is laid back sometimes...and that Nyssa is not upset (or overly so) by Leila's crying. It is a dance always has been and always will be, and some music is sad.

I am not sad, I do not have regrets (Okay, I have a few), but clearly there are times when I think, "What on Earth have I gotten myself into?" And if I didn't talk about those times i'd be boring. thats why I like taking pictures like this: First of all it is funny, but second it is a fact of life that we spend a lot of time trying to avoid or ignore. And for what?

So I am looking at the pictuer and for the first time I notices the band-aid on Leila's foot, that is way sadder to me, makes me go, "aw" then the brown fecal matter released from her tookish.

Speaking of butts and crotches, Noodle has become, not facinated by them but aware they exist. I was on the Toilet the other day and she said, "You going pee?" "Yes" "You going Poop?"
"Maybe"
And here is the kicker: "You sitting on the Poopty?" and it wasn't a mistake, it was a joke! She made fun with words! I think that is so smart.

Nyssa came home from school the other day and when asked what she had for snack, said, "Diariea" Katy said, "Honey that is poop" and Nyssa said, "It's snack too."

Later, we found out what she actually had for snack, but i'll let you figure it out for yourselves.