As I lay in bed last night listening to the sound of the rain pounding on the window, I couldn’t help thinking about the mud. It’s not as if I sleep like a baby every night (or ever), but picturing my yard getting overrun by a flowing glacier of oozing mud wasn’t very restful.

So I got up this morning with a bad attitude, but at least it stopped raining. Then it started again, and stopped and started. It was just showery enough today to keep the puddles filled, but I don’t even think in terms of dryness any more. I deal with the relative sloppiness index and adjust my mood accordingly.

Every time I think I can get away with it, I stay home, but I couldn’t do it today. I had Tammy and David’s comedy club tickets for their anniversary night in San Francisco, which I had downloaded for them. Mom had a new TV set that she wanted help setting up. D.J. had a basketball game, and with Tammy and David out of town, Suzanne was staying with the babies. I’m not saying she needed my help, but I wanted to drop by and see if I could do anything.

D.J.’s team played by far their best game. The other team was good, too, so weak opposition wasn’t the reason the Bulls looked good this week. The kids from the other side knew how to go after the ball, something our kids are still working on. The Bulls will sometimes get a rebound, but only if the ball happens to bounce into their hands. I think seeing how hard the other team was playing brought up the intensity level. Not that six-year-olds should play like pros, throwing elbows and such, but it was fun to see them actually working hard and playing together.

They did lose, but only by 26-24, and it was just that close the whole way. D.J. played with his usual enthusiasm, and he came over and gave hugs to Mom, Eric and me afterward, before going off with his dad and stepmother.

When I got to Tammy and David’s house, Kylie was asleep, but Aiden had been up since his morning nap. He was a little crazed, though not in a bad way. He wanted to be dangled upside down, but only by Suzanne (“Upside down, Grandma!”), so there was no use in anyone else trying to give him his adrenaline rush. He chattered away, knowing exactly what he was saying (although at times he was the only one).

He pulled me to the window and showed me the man across the street sweeping out the gutter. “Sweeping,” he explained. Then, after repeating his narration several times, he thought maybe the man should be finished. “All done,” he said, over and over and over. “All done sweeping.” Eventually the man did pack up his broom and walk back into his garage. “Night night, sweeping,” Aiden said sweetly.

Later, when Suzanne was trying to give Kylie a bottle, Aiden got a little rambunctious. He had been climbing over the arm of the couch, and throwing toys, and he wasn’t being what you’d call careful of his sister. He didn’t know he was disturbing her, but she has a slightly more sensitive spirit than he does. She didn’t like what he was doing at all. I tried, with mixed success, to keep him occupied, but it’s pretty obvious I’m not used to being in the baby wrangling business. No permanent damage was done, but I wasn’t as helpful as I’d hoped to be.