Spent yesterday with women of my family. Jason was working from home, and Michelle and I took the kids up to Maryland to visit Cousin Erin. Cousin Erin turned into Cousin Erin, Garrett, Aunt Lisa and Aunt Pam– and of course Riley, who is impervious to pain. (I have never seen a human being walk into more walls without flinching.) Aunt Pam announced my site gave her a scare– “Oh, when Elias went to the hospital?” I asked. “No,” she said, “when I read Erin was thinking about getting pregnant again. I called her up, like, ‘I read you wanted another baby on the Internet!’”

It wonderful until dinner. The setting: Red Robin. The issue: Eli’s gambling addiction. The advice: Suggesting a toddler look at the arcade? To win toys with money you don’t have? Bad idea. We finally dug up enough cash for three games worth of The Claw (“DA CAW IS COOL!” he informed us). He lost all three. We had to drag him back to the table while he barked: “DAT GAME CHEET! CHEET ME NEED MOW MONEY! NEED CWOINS MOMMY GIVE ME CWOINS I WIN TOY! DAT CHEET GAME NOT GIVE ME TOY NEED MONEY GIVE ME MONEY NEED MOW MONEY TO GET TOY FROM CHEET GAME!”

We also nipped grand larceny in the bud. Apparently, getting money from mom’s purse? Means ANY mom that walks by. He’d already unclasped a stranger’s handbag when we caught him. I freaked out: “Elias! We don’t take money from other people! That’s BAD!” Elias: “OH GOD!”

Michelle and I had been talking all the drive up about how she’s excited to start a family. Not on the way home. I think Screamin’ E put an end to that. Heh.

Today he was much better behaved, although we’ve totally moved into Boydom. J and I went out to see “Inside Man”, and we were driving the kids back to the apartment:

BECCA: Jason, I want a house so bad.

JASON: I know.

BECCA: A beautiful house.

ELIAS: A POOP HOWSE?

BECCA: No, not a poop house! You silly kid.

ELIAS: A– A PEEPEE HOWSE!

I tickled him from the passenger seat.

BECCA: No! EW! Why would we live in a PEEPEE house?

ELIAS: A… A CHEESEBOOGER POOP HOWSE! HAHAHAHAHA!

BECCA: Oh no! Cheeseburger poop house! That sounds like the worst!

ELIAS: A, A, A PEEPEE POOP COW TWUCK HOWSE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

BECCA: You nutso! Come here!

ELIAS: HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!… Oh, I tired.

And then he closed his eyes and slept.

I have to do work the rest of the day– cleaning, emails, web design– although part of that is Mike‘s wedding site, which is turning out to be more fun than expected. I decided to code with the headphones on and Barry White playing, and as I touched up an image map, he belted, Can’t get enough of your love, BABY; and suddenly I realized, WOW. Mike is getting married. We’re going to Mike’s wedding, where he’s going to drink and probably dance, and probably cry, and I was just thinking how beautiful and fun and wonderful and surprising life is.

I’m also Not Pregnant. I can’t even put the relief into words. After the whole week of two sick kids, I turned to Jason: “WE’RE DONE.” Maybe in time my attitude will change, but for now I feel complete– and I feel challenged, busy. On the way to the movie, I mentioned to J that I can’t imagine how Jesus Charlie and Suzi do it with three girls. Then– minutes later, in line to buy tickets– Charlie calls and says they’re going to adopt a baby– another daughter– and would we please pray for them?

First of all: I would pray for tuna sandwiches if Charlie asked me to. Second: If anyone could handle another child, could love it and teach it, care for it, and could do it effortlessly, it would be that family. Third: YOU ALL ARE MAKING ME LOOK BAD. Heh.