Sunday's best

Gwennie, reading Curious George Opposites to Margaret before bed: "Now the pigs are out of their pen."
M: Now the opposites are gonna be mad!

M: I want to go with you into the attic! And find a nightmare. Babies are scared of nightmares -- they like Kettas and kitties the best to eat.

M: Are you going to go up there? C'mon, Daddy! Let's do this!

M: [playing alone with her castle and figurines] Here it is, your highness! The knights of the round table found your egg! Here you go, dinosaur!

creations

Casper: I figured out why my pelvis is hurting! It's from when I hit the counter and split my lip.
Jennifer: But did you hurt your body then? And wouldn't it have started hurting before now?
C: Oh . . . I didn't think of that!

C: Where is the Super Intendo controller?

muchas smooches

Simon: [burp]
Margaret: Bless you! . . . right?

pool battle

Margaret: Can we fill up the swimming pool and jump inside? I love to do that! . . . But I left my shoes outside!

brothers

the best . . . around

Margaret: Miao, can I have a bagel?

C: Stop calling everyone Holmes, Linus!
M: Linus, stop calling everyone hop-hop-hop!

Linus: Why do you always steal my iPod?
M: Because I'm a baby!

C: [playing] This is going to be the golden cup . . .
M: You said that already.

C: I want to shower with Greta!
M: Calm down, calm down -- you can!
C: I can?
M: Yes! Because [singing] you're the best . . . around!

Margaret is newly re-obsessed with nursing, which she's been practicing.  These are nurses she's holding up to her chest.

Todd: We can't go until I get rid of this baby.
M: Do you have to put him back in Mama's tummy?
T: . . . .
M: Put him in my arms, Daddy, I take him to Mama.

first bath

I'm a little late in getting to this. Simon's first (sponge) bath was actually last Thursday -- but I did want to document the experience.  Most impressive to me is how engaged Baby Cinq was during the whole thing -- he barely took his eyes off his Mama's face as he got cleaned up.  It's remarkable how much he interacts with each of us, but Jen most of all.  He smiles, stares deeply, grasps at her hand.  It's no surprise that they have such a deep bond, but it is a little surprising how visible it all is.

how a baby sleeps

super soccer

We've all been inside so much since the birth of Simon that we've needed a physical outlet -- the children most of all.  So when they cajoled their mother into letting them have her birthing ball for a game of super soccer, we were all excited to let off some steam. In practice, this meant losing some of our players to hard feelings and injury -- as well as the ball, which was punctured almost immediately.  All the same, it was a valuable, even necessary, opportunity to let loose a little.

habitual ritual

Of course one of our priorities, in this record and in general, has been to capture the new baby interacting with his siblings.  At Linus' birth, we started taking an overhead shot to try to depict the children together, and over the years we have ended up with a great series of children lying on the bed, being themselves.  (It's remarkable how much personality comes through in the most benign circumstances.)

In practice, this has become more and more difficult to arrange, as we've struggled to find a way to stage so many children with such a wide range of patience and attention span.  These are our attempts.