A Scene from a Drop Everything Life

The scene my husband comes home to on Valentines day:

There is flour, sugar, sprinkles, icing, and clumps of dough in various consistencies all over the kitchen table, and quite a bit on the floor.

Bags of sugar, flour, all kinds of cookie ingredients, and a ridiculously huge quantity of cookie cutters are piled on the kitchen table.

The oven is off but cookies are still in there. There is a big bowl half full of uncooked dough on the counter and cookie trays scattered on top of the stove half full of cookies.

There are two little boys sitting at the kitchen table, one studiously decorating a plate full of cookies, the other (mine) eating a plate full of not quite decorated cookies.

Me and Penny, on the couch, mid-milk meal.
When the baby says it's meal time, it's meal time.

At least I turned the oven off.

And we made a peace offering: poorly decorated, half-mixed, somewhat baked sugar cookies!
Happy Valentines Day, Daddy.

Love

Legend - "Daddy I love you so so so so so so MUCH!"
Daddy - "I love you SO much too!"

Legend - "Daddy I love you more than the sun!"
Daddy - "Wow! I love you more than the sun too!"

Legend - "Daddy I love you even much more than the moon!"
Daddy - "Wow! I love you more than the moon too!"

Legend - "Daddy! I love you even much bigger than the Milky Way!"
Daddy - "Holy smokes! I love you more than the universe!"

Legend - "Daddy, I love you even more than Mommy and Nelope!"
Daddy - "Oh... Uh..."

And Mommy's heart was just a little broken for a moment.

Super Daddy

Legend and Daddy are playing an epic super hero game, while Daddy simultaneously cleans the kitchen. What a great man I have!

It begins...
Legend hands Daddy a play phone - "Daddy, you be Grandma and I be Legend."
Daddy - "I don't want to be Grandma again. I'll be Sir Topham hat.  Rrrring. Rrrrrring."
Legend answers his play phone - "Hello. I am Super Legend!"
Daddy - "Hello Super Legend. This is Sir Topham Hat. I need your help. Spencer is stuck in the mud!"
Legend - "Don't worry! I am super strong!" He throws the phone down and acts out picking Spencer the train out of the mud and putting him back on the tracks with his super muscles.
...

Next Daddy is the Hulk. Legend insists that the Hulk is a nice guy now and they make plans over the phone to "save peoples."
Legend - "Hey big green guy! Let's save peoples."
Daddy - "Okay! My name is Hulk."
Pretend battles against imaginary evils ensues.
Legend - "Hey green nice big green guy!"
Daddy - "It's Hulk. Why can't you remember my name?"
Legend - "Hey Hulk big green guy!"
...

Next Daddy is Optimus Prime from Transformers on the phone. After Legend double checks that Optimus Prime is a nice robot guy, they fight evil together.
Legend - "You will not defeat us, bad guys!"
Daddy - "Roll out!"
Legend - "Roll out?"
Daddy - "Yeah. Roll out. It means 'let's go!'"
Legend - "Let's go roll out!"
...

Next Daddy is Spiderman and Legend has changed his name to "Super Legend Iron Man!"

Legend runs over to me with his phone held high. He is so excited by this game, having so much fun, he must tell me about it.

Legend - "Super Mommy! You are feeding Super Nelope? Super Mommy, I am Super Legend Iron Man! I have this super phone for talking to Spiderman, Grandma, Grandpa, and Optimus Prime!"

I love watching my boys play.

Instructions

Legend loves to help take care of his baby sister. Usually this "help" is not at all helpful, but sometimes it is very helpful. For instance, sometimes he puts a toy on the sleeping baby's face or pats her back to burp her when I am trying to rock her to sleep. But, he is a great runner for various things: diapers, a burp cloth, putting the bottle back in the fridge, grabbing my phone for me while I am breastfeeding. He follows simple instructions very well and is proud of himself when he helps. He loves his sister possessively and delights in her every squeak, so far.

...


I am breastfeeding Penny. I feel a little trapped when I breastfeed because it takes some effort to get everything set up just right.

Legend, panicked - "I have to go PEE!"
Me - "Go! Hurry to the bathroom, Legend!" For some reason he still needs verbal direction on this.

Legend goes to the bathroom and does his business. Then he starts singing and turning the water on and off.
Me - "Legend, wash your hands." I call from my couch.
Legend washes his hands then comes out of the bathroom pants-less.

Me - "Legend, please go put your underwear on."
I am now actually feeling very grateful that Legend is at an age where he can follow simple instructions and use the bathroom on his own. He needs lots of verbal direction and coaching, but he can do it. I think, "I'm so glad we waited until he was 3 to have another baby!"

Then Legend comes out of the bathroom, naked from the waist down, underwear on his head, singing and dancing.

Update

Penelope Louise was born at 6:36pm December 12, 2012, weighing 7lbs1oz, healthy and beautiful.

Doctors

Sitting in the living room...

Legend - "Mommy, you and Daddy stay here at home. I am going to the doctor. I have a head ache."
Me - "Okay. See you later."

Legend does a lap around the kitchen and comes back.

Me - "Feel better?"
Legend - "No. The doctors can't help me."
Me - "They didn't give you medicine?"

Legend - "They didn't make me better. They just think they're better than me."

To Share

The kids are just finishing lunch and Kayla is enjoying the chocolate bunny crackers her mother packed for her.

Legend - "What's that, Kayla? Mommy, what Kayla has?"

Me - "Those are crackers like your chocolate fish crackers, but they are shaped like bunnies."

Legend - "Kayla, you share with me? Please?"

Kayla is silent while she munches her crackers.

Me - "Kayla doesn't have to share with you. Those are her lunch that her mommy packed for her. If you are still hungry, I can get you something else..."

Legend hops down from his chair and sidles up to Kayla - "Maybe I look at it?"

Kayla holds up a cracker so he can see it.

Me - "Kayla, you may share if you want to, but you don't have to. It's up to you."

Legend smiles and nods encouragingly - "Maybe I smell it?"

Kayla holds the cracker toward Legend so he can smell it.

Legend smiles more broadly and nods at Kayla, clearly expecting her to hand it over now.

Kayla slowly and solemnly places the cracker in her own mouth, eyes wide watching for Legend's reaction.

Legend, simply - "Okay."  He hops back to his own chair, fully accepting Kayla's decision. 

He is full of surprises.