I feel, once again, like I've been beaten about the head and shoulders with a rubber hose. And tomorrow both kids are home again. It's not any one thing (although the tantrums and the vomiting do wear one down) but just the wear of being on for 12 hours plus, especially with both kids. C has been having a lot of whiny "pay attention to ME" episodes -- which are perfectly justified. But B has just entered suicide-baby stage (climbing stairs, climbing rocks and not knowing how to get down, scurrying toward curbs and doors as fast as his four legs will carry him, grabbing stuff off tables) so when they're together it feels like both of them get shortchanged. But if we divide and conquer, neither of us gets anything done.

On the plus side, B is now cooperative enough for me to carry on my back, so that's a good way to do stuff with him around. This weekend I walked down to the farmers market and got groceries with him (delicious late strawberries and blueberries). Then C and he and I went to the park for an hour. Our Labor Day observance was the big parade in a neighboring town, which (perhaps not entirely inapposite) was dominated by marching units from the military college located there. B ate scraps of pizza and C played in the bouncehouse at the street fair on the village green (the guy who ran the concession says that business is way off, with kids who in previous years would have gone through several times per venue now going once if at all).

Tomorrow is story time at the library, where we will be returning "Henry and Fred Learn About Lead". Wish us luck.