Twin Power

See the burp rag? That's no mistake that it's right below her mouth. Bleeeeccchh!!

Last year Abby caught pneumonia (for the first of two times) on the day before Thanksgiving. Apparently, she's shooting for a repeat. I don't think she's even close, thankfully; sure she spent the morning vomiting and pooping and watching cartoons, but I don't think we're even flirting with the pneumonia stage.

This morning, then, Jen and I had to have one of those rare discussions where our days are pitted against one another in a match of outright importance:

J: "I've got two classes that I absolutely cannot miss or else I'll fail and be hung. What's going on for you at work today?"

D: "I was going to spend 45 minutes trying to throw a little red ball into a milk jug, which is kind of a little game we made up. But it's really competitive!!"

And so my day lost, miserably so. It was Jennifer, then, who drove off to day care and school whilst I stayed behind to care for Abby. This departure was rendered utterly heartbreaking when Lily, dressed and coated and being carried over the threshold, suddenly realized she alone was leaving and her twin was being left behind.

"Abby. Abs. Abby? ABBY??? ABBBBBBBYYYYYYY!!!!!!??!?!" she screamed, she wailed, as she threw her arms out over my shoulders back towards the house. It could have almost been funny if it wasn't totally devastating. Really sad, actually, and touching. According to Jen, it didn't end in the car. She kept repeating, "Abby? Abby, come. Abby come!" And of course, when they got to day care, she ran around looking for her.

It's this stupid crap that makes me love them so much it is painful.

Abby and I had a mostly uneventful day, by and large. She's a world class snuggler when she's sick, so I got to spend lots of time on the couch watching Curious George (who I have now realized reminds me a lot of Lily, actually) with a blonde 19 pound sack on my chest. In the afternoon, after a hashed together packing attempt, we wound up on the road and in Duluth, where the Stalkers have taken us in for the holidays. Hooray Duluth! Hooray Stalkers!

Everyone have a lovely Thanksgiving. Hug a lot. Eat a ton. Be gracious.

Day two hundred and eighty two.

Heading north on I35, the fiery glow of Duluth beckoning us on from afar.