TODDLING AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT

Yesterday afternoon Echo and I went across the Lake to babysit (while Kasumi went to the dentist) and found 4 out of 6 nostrils running. The twins had twin colds. Kaya was still coldless, and wanted to stay that way by avoiding contact with the flooding-nostril bearers. (She's very practical for a five-year-old.) But since the twins touch and chew and sneeze on everything with a generosity that would otherwise be heartwarming, avoidance is pretty much out of the question.

Me, I just dove right in, so to speak. Around the twins I'm just one big playground anyway, so forget it. I served as swings and sliding board and seesaw, junglebob and whirlygig for as long as I could, then I said let's go outside and play. I meant in the yard, but when we got out there it was a prison break like there were searchlights and sirens, the plan apparently being for the trio to regroup at the playground down the street.

I had the driveway gate down and the front gate locked and am still fast enough to cover all the gaps, but there were three of them and one of me, so I had to deputize Kaya, which didn't go down too well, since she was really more on the twins' side than mine - but then not really, they're so young and uncouth - so she sort of drifted back indoors while the twins took turns stealing my attention as they figured out how to outflank me, which didn't take long (you take this end of the driveway while I take the other), they’re crafty little scamps, and deceptively fast; you'd think it would be impossible to toddle at the speed of light. Of course that may be just an illusion, since they both look the same… still, I wondered…

So inevitably I had to get physical and pick them both up at the same time to be sure I had two of them, and brought them back into the house kicking and screaming until they saw lunch, with Kaya setting the table and a good example for her ill-mannered sisters. So after we ate and when Kasumi came back we took Kaya bowling. She had a great time; broke 50, using a pink Hello Kitty ball. Not bad for a 5 year-old. Back home by 5pm I was really ready for bed, having walked all the way to Mars and back, but cut a lot of firewood instead. Big snow coming.