How about them Eagles?

We had folks over on Friday. Some with kids, some without. Any time I have a plan to mingle with the childless I remind myself that I can and WILL talk about other things – music, TV, news, entertainment gossip (Thanks, Tracey!), and even some politics. And yet after everyone left on Friday I was feeling like “Goddamn it! All I talked about was the kids. I suck.” In my defense I’ll say that people asked me questions about them – which is what you do when you are catching up with friends you don’t see enough. However I have a problem whereby I get on a roll and I can talk about them until the cows come home and your eyes sink back into your sockets. I really have to learn to stop myself and say something like “Are you by any chance watching Pushing Daisies/Project Runway/ Kid Nation?” Because nothing is more enthralling and fulfilling than talking about television.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program – Eggerts kids allatime! Noah is SO eager about Christmas. It started two weeks ago on the car ride home from my Mom’s wedding rehearsal dinner. A million questions about Santa. Most prominently “Why does Santa come at night when nobody can see him?” Ahem. I’ve since explained repeatedly that if he came when we were awake everyone would want to greet him and hang out and then he’d never get his job done. I’ve also explained that there are many Santas – the ones in the malls are direct reports to THE SANTA who comes out only on Christmas Eve. We are also in a flurry of “Can I have that?” especially since the toy catalogs have come in the mail. The ridiculous thing is that he keeps asking for things he already has, which clearly makes my point that he needs NOTHING. I’m having real difficulties coming up with answers for family members wanting to shop. I want to tell everyone to get him savings bonds or gift certificates to the art and bookstore but that stuff is not thrilling to see a kid open on Christmas day.

Ray had his first solid last night – the super savory and delicious rice cereal. Doesn’t every child enjoy the taste of paste? He seemed not all that interested or pleased with it last night. He mostly just shriveled up his face and let it dribble back out. He even gagged a few times. But he had another go this morning and was much more receptive – though still not eating with the vigor of Noah’s first meals. But the most exciting development of late is that Ray has come to appreciate Noah as the entertainment whirlwind he is. We’ve had a couple of instances lately where Noah is goofing around and Ray is laughing and squeaking hysterically. It would damn near make your heart explode to experience it. Last night Mark was trying to cheer up a grumpy Ray – he was singing and jumping. And Ray was like “SEEN IT! Next.” Then Noah got up from the dinner table to jump and Ray lost it. Mark was crestfallen. But he just can’t pit himself up against the master. Noah is clearly the David Hasselhof in our Germany.