Both of our daughters feel it necessary, when one is sitting down in the living room for a quick English muffin in the morning, to bounce up and down at one’s knees, mouths open, like starving baby birds, as if they had not eaten in days. (Think seagulls from Finding Nemo…) Madeline says, “Wheeze, wheeze” until she gets some, and then when the food is gone, says “Oops…assident” as if the food vanished totally on its own. Most amusing is when I am holding the plate at a certain height, and Maddie’s eyes appear over the edge of it with a plaintive, hopeful, expression.

Of course, it is impossible to deny her, or Claire for that matter.

 -j.