A few days ago, the youth minister from our church stopped by with his brand-new wife to check out our furniture … it looks like we’ll be giving or selling a lot of it to them, which is fantastic, possibly more so for us than for them (those of you who have met our furniture will understand). Anyway, they (the people, not the furniture) are fantastic with kids, as our children gave them ample opportunity to demonstrate. Ngaire, especially, took a shine to the wife; they hadn’t been there very long before Ngaire asked Miss Hannah, “Do you have big nipples like my mommy’s?” (N.B.: I believe “nipple” is Ngaire’s term for the entire mammary gland.) After I offered them some brownies, Ngaire dashed into the kitchen, saying, “I want to give Miss Hannah a brownie.” Then she returned with a handful scooped from the pan. Later, Ngaire managed to sneeze wetly all over the poor woman. Hannah, bless her, bore it all with good humor and even reiterated, as they left, that they can’t wait to have children. Her husband, for his part, got ahold of Rhiannon and wouldn’t let her go. At one point, he was making her talk, and he stopped and said, “No, hold your finger out for emphasis,” and positioned her tiny index finger just so.

The Husbandlet returned from the Frozen North with a DVD “postcard” promoting the place. We have watched it several times. The first time my mom saw it, she pointed out to Ngaire the “plane that can ride on the water like a boat.” Ngaire said, “No, that’s a seaplane that lands on pontoons.” I am proud to say that I taught her that one.

It is official, have I mentioned? We are moving to the Frozen North in the middle of August. We made an offer on a BEAUTIFUL, OH MY GOODNESS house and it looks like it will be accepted, so now I only have to bite my nails about getting approved for the mortgage.

Conversations with the Husbandlet can be interesting these days. He’s handling all the logistics of our move, bless him, and goes around with a perpetually glazed look in his eyes and a running commentary on percentage rates proceeding from his mouth.

Ngaire has been super-cute with Rhiannon lately. She keeps making what she calls “pack-n-plays” for the baby all over the house, always with a little pillow (a paper towel, a giant stuffed isopod, etc.) and a blanket (sometimes it’s an actual baby blanket). She loves to snuggle her little sister, and even got Rhiannon back to sleep this way once. Liam also continues to adore “Baby On-in,” as he now calls her, though his love is a bit less gentle.

Rhiannon has begun her sweet crooning noise phase. She has actual rolls of fat on her arms and legs, dimpled elbows, and plump cheeks. Since my other babies have been little stick figures, this amazes me. Her smile is more shy and retiring than Liam’s, and she is definitely less intense than Ngaire. She has gone back to being a tad wakeful at night, but all in all, she is a very easy baby. I find her very restful.