1. How do any of you with children actually write a blog on a regular basis?  I am on borrowed time right now: I’ve created a fort using my couch, end table and pile of blankets in order to buy myself approximately three minutes to write a few measly words to you.  Let us not waste a precious second!

2. Children require care 24 hours a day, unlike puppies.  Puppies can be left by themselves for at least a little while; you just give them some food, water and a chew toy.  Lesson learned: puppies do not equal children.

3. In the event someone wakes up crying from a nightmare and no longer wishes to sleep on the pallet you have so lovingly constructed on the floor beside your bed, it is possible to fit the following into your twin-sized bed: yourself; an eight year old; a four year old; a puppy named Snuggles; a puppy named Cuddles; a stuffed pig named, well, Piggy and, finally, a stuffed pink dog named Jay.  IN YOUR TWIN BED.

4. Jay, Avi’s stuffed pink puppy, switches between female and male on a daily basis.  If he is a he, then his name is Jay except for the days that he’s a female but still retaining the name Jay.  However, on some days, Jay wishes to be called Rose; on these days, he could be either male or female.  May heaven help you if you accidentally refer to Jay as a he when it’s actually a she and don’t even get me started on trying to figure out whether you should refer to the puppy as Jay or Rose because, if you do get me started, MY HEAD MAY EXPLODE.

5. Current words malfunctions that are hilarious, all courtesy of Avi: “hippy toes” instead of tippy toes; “Chick-Da-Lay” instead of Chick-Fil-A; “ta-tending” instead of pretending.

6. I used to genuinely — GENUINELY — want to have twins, maybe triplets.  And by “used to” I mean “five days ago.”  I now believe there should only be as many children as there are parents; otherwise the little darlings could form a mutiny and totally take over control.

7. In all seriousness, we’re having a blast.  Even Jay/Rose.