Sorry, I know it's been a while

I can't really post, because I have to churn out 1000 words tonight and it's already late. In a nutshell:

1. Iyyar pulled himself up to standing for the first time on Tuesday. He is very very excited about standing. It's hard to put him down in a sitting position--all he wants to do is stand.

2. I have one decent wool skirt that fits me. One. I bought it 60% off from LL Bean a few years ago, and it still wasn't cheap. It is long, warm, lined, comfortable, and flattering. It goes with everything. Verily it is the linchpin of my winter wardrobe--I probably wear it three times a week. While folding laundry this afternoon, I discovered it among the kids' jeans and sweatshirts. It had gone through the washing machine on hot.

3. Today I was vacuuming in Barak's room, and I stuck Iyyar standing up in his crib. When I started vacuuming, his jaw literally dropped. It was probably the most comical expression I have ever seen--baby with mouth hanging open. What is that thing??

4. This afternoon Barak was being very insistent about climbing in and out of the pack and play that Iyyar sleeps in. Finally, I said, "Barak, do you want to sleep in Iyyar's crib tonight?" He did, so I moved the pack and play into Barak's room, and put Iyyar in Barak's crib. It's really time for Barak to graduate from the crib--he'll be three IY"H Pesach--and it's also about time for Iyyar to move out of our room. So far, so good--they're both asleep. What I found amusing was hearing Barak quietly saying, "ah da da da da" while standing in Iyyar's crib, totally a la baby.

5. When I take the kids places in the double jogger, getting in and out of the house is quite a production. I have to bring the stroller into the back hall, but it's so heavy I can't do it without emptying it completely first. So usually I let Barak out, he goes up the back steps while I ferry whatever bags into the kitchen, and then I bring up Iyyar and plunk him somewhere, and then I go back down to get the stroller. A couple days ago we were coming in like that and Iyyar was very, very annoyed--he is never a big fan of the stroller and he'd really had it at that point. When I sat him down on the floor and ran back out for the stroller he started to shriek. I called back, "Barak, can you smile at the baby and make him happy please?" Behind me, I heard, "Hi, baby! Happy baby, kay? Gonna be happy, baby!" By the time I got back inside, Iyyar was positively chortling. If only everything in life were that easy...

6. On Monday Barak's language took a sudden and noticeable leap. Longer sentences, more complex, and just more... informative. He came home from school with a bruise on his forehead, and when I asked him where it came from he told me. "I jumped off the bench and I hit my head. Morah Freedman say no no, you can't do that. No can't jump off the bench." I asked him if he was going to do it again and he said, earnestly, with that rising-and-falling toddler tone, "NoooOOOoo." Not until he sees the bench again, anyway...

7. The work-at-home thing has turned into a saga. I'm still not convinced it will ever really happen, but for now the effective date is supposed to be mid-April. Stay tuned.