Calling in the Cavalry.

He stands on our front steps, calling for Bubbeh (my mother) in the traditional manner-- "Bubbeh, be a Bubbeh; let's go play basketball in the park! Come on Bubbeh!".

I've marshaled some heavy hitters to help me navigate the day. Bubbeh. Grandpa. Frances Kastler. Frances and Spencer played a fine piano duet and then cooked blueberry pancakes-- Spencer saw the potential when Frances accidentally dusted her nose with flour, and proceeded to smear about a tablespoon (unsifted) of flour all over his face.

Grandpa accompanied us to the park to play tennis, swing and slide, providing a crucial assist to avoid a premature nap. Sources close to Grandpa witnessed him rapidly approaching nap-time himself, so he left after noon. Spence went down, and after a snack, Nora followed... their naps overlapped an amazing *8 minutes* during which I collapsed on our bed and hurtled towards REM sleep.

I planned an afternoon playdate with Amanda, but 45 minutes of frenzied searching failed to produce my car-keys, even after Spencer helpfully overturned the coffee table (along with the half-full coffee mug) onto the rug. Nope, nothing under here! So we called in the cavalry. Bubbeh. More fun at the park ensued.

I have to say, though, the high point of the day was walking back from Glaciers after the family was reunited-- Nora slowly falling asleep against my chest, Kristy and Spencer walking, flapping and clucking like chickens ahead of us. Shabbat Shalom, y'all!