Fiercely individual

It's amazing how different the kids are from each other.

Lana is all about "what if". "Mama, what if there was never school except on vacations and then when you went to school, it was a giant school and all the children in the world were there and it was so loud and you couldn't hear anything?" "Mama, what if when you bounced on the trampoline you went all the way into outer space and you landed on a star and you had to live there but there wasn't any food?" "Mama, what if we had to drive all the way to L.A. to get those yogurt things and they weren't even any good and there were really good ones in San Jose but we went all the way there and then we didn't even drink them and Dad didn't go to work? That would not be good."

She also has a need for control. Last night she was having trouble going to sleep so I was sitting next to her in her bed reading my book and scratching her back. After awhile she said, "You can finish those two pages and then you can stop scratching." Most nights, she wants me to check on her during bedtime. I get strict directions. "Check on me in four minutes, please. Set the timer." There is often haggling. "Check on me in two minutes." "Five minutes." "Three!" I set down the law with "Four." Then a grudging "Fine."

Mae is physically gregarious and very strong. Her hands travel on their own accord to touch, tickle or hug those around her. Just about every hug she's ever given me, I've had to say, gasping for breath, "Gentle, Mae, gentle." The customary hug before I leave her at school in the morning generally feels like a Heimlich maneuver. When she was three, she hugged her friend, Ella, then four, so hard that Ella, who is lucky enough to have a richly diverse genetic heritage, squealed, "Mom, Mae just hugged the Native American right out of me!"

Mihiretu is, of course, very much his own man. I can't wait for him to have more language to describe what's going on in that head. I have no doubt it's funny and very interesting. Already, his sense of humor is evident. He plays jokes, he gets jokes, which isn't easy with only a relative handful of words at his disposal.

Fascinating little people.