How do I know Aiden is feeling better? Tonight when Tammy was trying to get D.J. and Dakota to settle down, she said “Don’t jump around.” Aiden immediately climbed down off the couch, announced, “Jump around,” and proceeded to run around in circles in that way he has that he finds so very entertaining. He doesn’t jump so well, but he thinks plopping himself down backwards on his behind is just the funniest thing. So I’m pretty sure he’s nearly back to his old self.

Earlier in the day I picked D.J. up from school. Here’s a recap of his monologue in the car: “Star Wars. Star Wars. Jedi. Sith. Episode I. Episode II. Episode III. Anakin. Yoda. Count Dooku. Light saber.” He’s a little obsessed. “You can call me ‘Count Dooku,’” he told me, “or you can call me ‘Dooku.’ But don’t call me just ‘Count.’ That would be silly.”

When I dropped D.J. off at home, Aiden was having lunch, and he invited me to sit at the tiny table by the window with him. He gave me a cup and poured invisible coffee into it for me. Then he gave me a spoon and told me to stir. Then he asked for the spoon back so he could stir his own coffee. This went back and forth (between bites of Goldfish crackers) until he got distracted.

Then we read a Christmas book (something about the smallest reindeer). Several times.

By the time I left tonight he was jumping from the arm of the couch into my lap, shouting “Fall!” the way you or I would shout, “Geronimo!” (Well, maybe you would shout “Geronimo!” I probably wouldn’t, come to think of it. Maybe I’d just shout “Fall!” Or maybe I wouldn’t jump off the arm of the couch at all.)

So things have improved remarkably in the House of Many Children. The other kids all seem fine as well. Dakota was full of information about dinosaur eggs (a real thing, by the way, that comes in a tank and you add water and they grow into actual dinosaurs, if you’re patient enough to wait that long). D.J. spent most of the evening hiding behind the couch, but he kept popping up so he could remind me (again and again and again) not to tell Aiden he was back there. I don’t think he ever actually pulled off whatever surprise attack he was planning.

And Kylie, bless her grumpy little heart, is doing much better as well. I worked so hard to get her to smile at me, instead of giving me that other face that starts out looking like a smile but really isn’t. You know the one I mean. I swear I think she did flash one genuine smile in my direction before I left. Or maybe she was just humoring me so I’d go away. Now she probably thinks it worked.