Not just serious ...

... Dick Cheney serious.


Thanks friend, for that comparison. It's the flash on my camera that renders him so stoic. In real life, he laughs at anything -- even big brother assault.

Which, by the way, is on in a great blaze of laughs at Sam's expense.  The photo below was taken just after a throwing-an-airplane-just-close-to-not-at-the-baby incident. 

In Mansfield Park, Jane Austen, who often writes things I marvel at a hundred years later, has nailed our current family dynamic:  "The younger brother must help to pay for the pleasures of the elder."

In other news, there was a visit last week from the maternals, who swooped into town bearing gifts of toys that Transform from bad guys into toasters (complete with a plug!) and baby clothes.  They took John to a hotel every night, and us out to dinner, lunch, and breakfast nearly every day.  Macy did more laundry in 3 days than I often do in 3 weeks, but I still won't let her iron the sheets, which she is wont to do.  As usual, I got approximately zero pictures of it all.  Despite my convalescence, I was able to cook one meal, which involved deer sausage, polenta, and peppers.  One meal.  Someday I swear I'm gonna be up to actually taking care of our family when they visit.  But somehow this continues to escape me, visit after visit. 

Next I would like to document two important family feats from Saturday:

1. 
   
   At approximately 12:17 p.m., I entered our local grocery store with (...drumroll...) both of my children.  Second, at approximately 12:45 p.m., I exited our local grocery store with (...drumroll...) both  of my children and all the groceries that we needed for about two hours days.  No one yelled or cried. 
2. 
   
   I went to a get-together with some gals from work, and Brian successfully got both children into bed.  One slept all night.  The other slept 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.  Only one went to bed without dinner.  Accidentally, but still.  The same one that didn't get dinner, didn't get bathed.  Not accidentally, despite it being Saturday night, when all the good people of the world bathe. 

Woot woot!

Now, that's a week that even Dick Cheney could get excited about.

OUS.