Lest I forget..  While we were visiting friends in Ithaca last weekend.  Sunday night at Sammy's in the plaza.  With Bill, Robyn, Gail (no Peter), Jen, Mark, and Zeke...   right towards the end...  Zachary started hunching in his highchair and giving off "the LOOK".  It was not unjustified.  It was a biggie.  The most liquidy, volumous poop ever.  I grabbed Z and headed towards the washroom w/a new diaper.  It was one of those first-the-shoes-come-off diaper changes.  I was lucky that his shoes and socks as well as his sweater were intact, because he went back out in the cold without his turtleneck and minus his pants.  And it was cold out in Ithaca that night.  This poop was so wet and powerful that it went all the way up the the base of his neck!  His back was covered. His pants were trashed.  I think Robyn came in helpless to assist, but there for moral support, and to help open the plastic bag which was so graciously given to us by the establishment.  I popped the naked, poop-coated Zachary into the sink and proceeded to bathe him right there in the bathroom.  What else was I to do?  What can I say?  He lived. We ran into Gail the next day at Gimmee, so at least she got to see him in pants again! This was the worst poop yet.  And the poor waitress was like, "this is why I'm afraid to have kids" and how do you explain that this hardly ever happens???

We are visiting Ithaca now.  I have a Zachary story.  We had two kinds of hummus with us at the hotel last night- spicy hummus and garlic hummus.  So, I asked Zachary which he wanted.  Since he didn't tell me, I gave him the one I thought he was less likely to like.  (Meanie that I am!)  So, he was munching down on the lavash and spicy hummus (chipotle powder makes it spicy!), and he changed his mind.  I didn't realize how closely he'd been listening to me, but after about a minute of being dis-satisfied with the spice, he said decidedly, "Garlic!".  OMG I *so* miss the farmers' market, Wegmans', the restaurants here, and GreenStar and everything!  I totally miss this town!!!

Swimming!

We're visiting Ithaca; it's been a while since we've been back. This time, we're staying at the Hampton Inn, which has a pool. Indeed, the pool is a good way to make use of down-time for the boys. Anyway, today Edwin spent about 2 hours in the pool in three separate instances: the first time was with all of us, and the second two times just with Daddy. (The middle time was shared with a pool party.) In between each time, he requested to return. The final time, he pushed off the wall (at my bidding). I released him briefly, and he started swimming! I thought he was just walking, but I quickly realized that the water was too deep for that. I wasn't sure that he knew what was happening either. So I had him go onto the steps, and jump in, with the momentum of jumping getting him started. Almost immediately, he swam across the pool (the short way), which he repeated a few more times. Then sort-of on a whim, I suggested that he swim the long way. He did that too, with a little prodding! So apparently, he knows how to swim!

Zachary is really aware of so much language!  Yesterday, I was talking to Michael about what Edwin and Zachary were drinking.  Zachary had lemonade mixed with water.  I told Michael that Edwin was drinking the same thing, except with soda.  I started taking trash up, meanwhile Edwin and Michael ran off to the bathroom.  In the 20 seconds I'd been gone to the trash can, about 5 yards away, Zachary swapped the two drinks!  He said to me, "Edwin fizzy soda!" and I looked at him and thought, "nah..." and sure enough. He'd understood and swapped them.  I attempted to swap them back, but he revolted.  So, he got to keep the fizzy one.  I ended up throwing them both out soon thereafter, though.