The kids and I are in the TV room watching "The Lion King," Griffin and I are tussling off to the side, and all of a sudden he just bends down and nearly bites my nipple off! My reaction was none too contained, and I'm sure I scared everyone as I screamed and pinned his head to the wall with my arm.

Two things: I have no idea how he so accurately found my nipple beneath my t-shirt. And secondly, I view this as the official onset of Griffin's terrible twos.

The really cool thing the kids have learned to do is apologize when they know they've wronged one another. We've taught them to apologize and then to ask how they can make it better. Usually, the other's response is that a kiss and a hug would make it better.

After her Soccer game, Berit told me she liked it. She told me she definitely wanted to sign up for Soccer again. I thought that was cool, that it was progress.

We all had a nice time going up to Neeraj's Diwali party. The kids mostly ate from the desert table. They particularly liked the coconut balls. We walked around Eldora a bit as well, the kids running and laughing with each other. Pam led, while Berit grabbed at her her coat tails, and Rowan at Berit's and Griffin at Rowan's... like baby ducks waddling after the mother.

Sometimes parenting is frustrating and hard. I just sent Berit to her room because she was teasing Rowan, holding something out of her reach and giggling, while Rowan cried.

Pam's asleep. The kids are playing. I'm going to make pancakes.

We had a blast with my folks here for 4 days. The kids really enjoyed hanging out with them. But when we had to say goodbye to them Friday night, Berit (who was very tired to begin with) cried all the way home in the car.

"It's sad to have to miss people, huh Berit?" I tried to console her, and so did Rowan: "Berit, sometimes I miss my friend Sophia, and then I'm sad."

Berit: Was incredible hiking in Chautauqua, yesterday. Post-Brownie hike change rendered Berit a leader of the family hike we took. Not only did she not complain about the hike, she led us and pointed out Bear scat and useful plant whose flower's center you can chew like gum and use to alleviate poison ivy.

Rowan: In Border's Books ladies room with Berit, could not reach the sink to wash her hands so she approached a woman entering the bathroom and asked , "Please could you lift me up?"

Griffin: At Dan's house, Jenelle had left an iron on (!!??!!), and Griffin found it, burning his hand. After much pain, ice, and crying - he seems to be alright. Yesterday, on the hike, he insisted on running and falling much of the way. He's pretty tough.

At breakfast, Rowan is sticking her tongue out at Griffin, Berit is tattling, "Mommy, Rowan is sticking her tongue out at Griffin," and Griffin is scowling at Rowan and distinctly saying, "No... Rowie... I.. don't.. like.. that..."

Berit is great! She asks me if we can do more math problems. Rowan, similarly this morning, asked me to help her write her name. The girls are gracious in overlooking my sometimes lack of patience in these endeavors.

Griffin gets up at 5 am and demands to watch Winnie - a - Pooh.

Berit sang that hit song by Smashmouth about a hundred times yesterday:

"Somebody once told me the world was gonna role me
I ain't the sharpest tool in the sheddddd...."

Except she sings

"Somebody once told me the world was gonna role me
I pudda lotta too in the sheddddd...."

Parental angst over whether to actually teach her the right lyrics, or let it slide, on the basis that singing the correct lyrics will subconciously affect her self-esteem... hopefully, she'll stop watching Shrek at Aunt Cathy's house so much, and soon forget about the song.