.jpg)
Happy Birthday to Kira!
The biggest happening this week was the anniversary of Kira’s birth! I doubt that she is any older, but she did complete a rotation around our sun, so that was call for a celebration. With the hectic schedule we have, it was difficult to squeeze a little celebrating in between all the bum-wiping and feeding. Still, Kira found a conservatory relatively nearby, and thought we’d all enjoy it.
And enjoy it we did! Hakan did not quite understand the scope of the place, and kept requesting to see the elephants, but still he had a good time playing in the kid area and running around making us try to find him.
The other kids had a good time too, but it still did not seem to quench their thirst for an outing. Hakan in particular wanted never to leave the place. When Kira and I threaten to leave the kids behind and go home without them, Avey and Carver usually snap out of their playing and come running. Hakan, however, is not at all bothered by it. Even when we head out of sight hoping he’ll come trotting after, he shows no sign of distress. He’d be content to just wander around unsupervised, I think.
What’s most important is that Kira enjoyed the trip. The weather was pleasant, we needed only one bandage, and lost none of the kids, so that’s a pretty successful outing. I wish we had the means to take her on a cruise for a couple of weeks, but perhaps when there aren’t babies to nurse…
The kids were quite helpful for part of Kira’s birthday. I knew that one thing that makes her smile is a pathway through all of the piles of toys, so the kids worked together to tidy up the house. They did a smashing job of it. It’s mostly stayed tidy, too, but we’ll see how long it lasts.
Carver has had some hilarious one-liners lately. I’ve still got my head shaved, but shortly after I did it for the first time, Carver inspected it closely behind me on the couch. He rubbed my scalp with his hands and then declared, “It’s part human, part not.” That is certainly how I feel as a balding middle-aged man, so at least Carver and I are on the same page.
A few days ago, he was playing one of his favorite games. He pretended to be a dad who was getting ready for work. After he was all set, he came to me with a smile, and in a chipper voice said, “Hey son, I am just going to the freaking city.” I have no idea where he got the phrase – I don’t think I say that word much, but apparently he picked it up from someone… In any case, it was hilarious that he said it without a hint of disdain, apparently missing the meaning.
Finally, as Avey and Carver were getting ready to go on a brief outing to the library with me, I teased them by calling it the wrong word, “librewery,” “librawny,” etc. Carver giggled and kept correcting me for the first few mistakes, but after I still was not getting the word correct, he got more serious and said, “Dad, let me talk into your ear.” He pulled my head closer, thinking apparently I just could not hear him correctly, and he enunciated as clearly as he could, “It’s the LIBLARY!” Avey and I giggled even more after he got it wrong himself, and we corrected him and all had a good laugh.