family: ... woke up, got out of bed...

(View from 3 Feet)

Morning
(I think this captures accurately the feeling of morning at our house -
that is, exhausted chaos)

I got to sleep in this morning. Fridays are the only day in our current schedule that I don't get up at 4am to get into and out of work early. 2 days a week M's got work and/or school. 2 other days, I've got paddling in the evening. So I slept in. With L curled tightly against my side.

She'd joined us about 4a this morning.
L (somewhere out beyond our bedroom door): daddy!
me (stumbling out): it's still night time.
L (pointing to our bedroom and lisping around her pacifier): go in thea!

I opt for the path of least resistance, pick her up and carry her into the bedroom where she then tosses and turns between us for 45 minutes.

Later she fell asleep hard, tucked in between my left arm and the side of my body. It feels great until I want to turn over. Then I'm stuck.

But, we get to sleep in until nearly 7 (3 hours beyond normal for me!), at which point K starts singing in her own bed and L wakes up.

L (bedheaded and still waking): go down stay-ahs.
me (having been awake for at least 15 minutes): ok
L (pointing): with you!
me: ok
L (pointing again): and me!!
me: ok
L (lifting her arms up to be carried, concerns apparently addressed): ok

Later, down in the kitchen, I ask how her diaper is.
L: fine.
me: really?
L: yeah.
me (grabbing her to check): it feels pretty wet.
L (twisting away with a laugh): and stinky!
me: stinky?
L (running now): yeah!
me: did you poop?
L: yeah!
me: really?
L: no, gath!

Ultimately, the change revealed a very wet but not stinky diaper.

Meanwhile, in another part of the kitchen, K is getting into her clothes for school. This involves taking off her (dry) diaper and helping her into underwear and pants.
M: did you sit on the potty?
K: no!
M: you didn't pee at all last night. You need to sit on the potty.
K: no! no!
(note: I'm not sure where this aversion to the potty came from, but she rarely wants to sit on it, often preferring to wear a diaper while at home.)
M: come on K. I want to take a shower. Since I haven't had one in 3 days.
me (stepping in): I'll take over. Go shower.

I get K into her underwear and pants and then:

K: need to go potty.
me: ok. Do you need help?
K: no.
me: ok.
K (disappears into the bathroom, then 30 seconds later): daddy!
me: yes?
K: my pants are wet.
me (going in): what happened?
K: I needed to pee and they got wet.
me (seeing that she's apparently peed on her pants while getting up onto the seat): that's ok. We'll just get new pants.
K: I haven't wiped yet.
me (handing her paper): but you peed. Nice. (we high-five.)
L (who followed me in): K pee?
me: yup
L: I need to pee!!
me: no you don't!
L: but I do! K pants wet?
me: yup. Let's go.

Then it's upstairs to get new underwear and pants for K, then downstairs to go look for the dog's poop. And while I'm doing that, I walk into the bird feed hanging from the Larch tree ("the larch!"), giving myself artificial dandruff and opening myself up to remembrances of the time, nearly 2 years ago now, that I got pooped on by a crow on the way to the bus. That story is always good for a lot of conversation and pleased recollection by the girls. Luckily it doesn't come up this morning.

A morning ride in the kitchen riding ring