You Turn Around. . .

What a weekend!  Now, it's true: when one lives with a preschooler and toddler, "What a weekend!" can mean all kinds of things.  In this case, it means what a fabulous Mother's Day weekend.  We have so much to report--and we shall--all in good time.  For now, here is how this Mother's Day began.  At the end of this clip, you'll see Clara say, "Me!" meaning she would like to be the next person to whom the song is sung.  She's like the caller at a square dance when we sing songs that are sung to someone, like Happy Birthday.

The day was bookended with song.  After Julie had read books to Clara this evening, the Birds snuggled on the couch.  When Julie and Joe snuggle after books, Julie likes to ask Joe, of all the things he did in a day, which was his favorite.  Clara is too little to understand that question and so keeps her unwitting secret counsel, but she likes a good sing-along, so that's what the Birds do.  Tonight, as is usually the case, Clara's lead-off request was "ABCs."  Eventually, the Birds worked around to some little ditty they sing at KinderCare in the infant and toddler rooms that goes like this:
Clara, Clara, Clara's in the middle!
Jump in, jump in, do a little wiggle!
Turn around, and sit down!
We went back and forth; Clara, Mommy, Clara, Mommy, Clara, Mommy. . .and closed it down with that.

This is Julie's third Mother's Day and it is funny now, when we cannot imagine this life without them, to remember then, when we could not imagine this life with them.  You jump in.  You do a little wiggle.  You turn around.  And you're someone's mommy, someone's daddy.