Xak, as a baby, was very easy to get along with, and he’s turned out to be a pretty charming toddler, too. I know he has his terrible-two tantrums, but I’ve seen a wide range of toddlers in my day and I have to say, he’s a real sweetie.

We had a sleepover party! Paul and I took Xak out to the kids’ museum one afternoon, and agreed to keep him overnight so Ken and Karen could have an evening off. The museum is one of Xak’s favorite places, and he knows it inside and out. We rolled balls through complicated pipes and ramps, making things spin and whirl. We whacked cowbells and gongs with drumsticks.

We greeted the farm animals:
“What does a sheep say?” “baa.”
“What does a cow say?” “moo.”
“What does a snake say?” (pause) “HI!”

The snake says hi.

And a trip through the butterfly house – one of my own favorites. But all this was just killing time until we could take our turn on…. the TRAIN RIDE.

Xak is really, really into trains.

When we left, he fell asleep in the car, and I ended up carrying him into the house and putting him in bed for his nap. When he woke up from the nap, he was a little weirded out – poor kid didn’t actually remember leaving the train at all; he just woke up somewhere else. But as soon as I came into the room he was fine again, and then there were crayons, and books, and crackers, and then pretty soon it was time to sleep again.

He was marvelously charming and if anybody could persuade Paul that little kids are awesome to have around the house, I’m sure it’s Xak. Gotta borrow that kid more often… :)