My beauties.

There is no way to describe the kind of emotion I have for Jude and Esme'. To begin with, they are both super-intelligent and obnoxiously beautiful. This is perhaps what causes the original stir in my heart. But is their whole persona, experienced only in their constant presence that causes me to be overcome with utmost love for them.

Esme' doesn't crawl or walk yet. Instead she sits on the kitchen floor scissoring her legs in such a fashion as to spin around and around on her bum. Once I watched her spin herself around completely three times. Whenever I look at her, smile, talk in my silly voice to her, she smiles this amazing squinty-eyed, chubby-cheeked, gummy expression. Amazing.

Jude can almost best me in chess. He prays before every meal, faithfully crosses himself "in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," and prays for everyone present, and if Esme' is sleeping he prays "that Ezzy will wake up." Jude can already basically read, count to 120, add and subtract. His drawings and paintings are always breathtaking. He is independent but always wants to build duplos with him or play uno (which is successfully better at than us) or play dice. He likes to listen to rock'n'roll at high volumes while driving in the car. His favorite album is Weezer, "the one with the blue cover." Sometimes I have to be stern with him, such as when he ran off in the library last night, but then that "scares" him and breaks his heart and it breaks my heart too. He is too beautiful. Ezzy too.