Grindstone

Radio silence over around these parts.  It's been a hectic couple of weeks.  I have been working.  A lot.  Based on the number of hours I am logging when compared to my salary, I think I am making about a $1.75 an hour.  Good thing it's not all about the money.  They don't mess around here in Texas.  The death penalty is scary shit and it moves fast.  I haven't woken up this many nights in a cold sweat in a long time.

In more uplifting news, Norah is really starting to come into her own as an artist.  This is her rendering of her lady bug pillow pet.  Do you see it?  Look again.

Lou is doing really well in school.  He is very popular among the teachers for his killer smile and complete disregard for me when I drop him off (the other kids lose their shit when their moms leave).  He has shockingly been on his best behavior this far and has not bitten, tackled, or head butted anyone.  Knock on wood, please.  A firetruck visited the school last week and he was the only one in his class who would go inside.  And then they had to pry him out of it.  He still doesn't eat much lunch there, but Bubby picks him up and brings him home, and he will usually eat in the car or the front porch.

I keep having to buy him new shoes.  He weighs as much as your average nine month old but has the shoe size of a fourth grader. (Not really, but close.)

We are just now starting to see him try Norah's patience.  She's still remarkably kind to him given the kind of physical and psychological pain he inflicts upon her on a daily basis, but there have been some moments of frustration as of late.  He loves to wrestle her, body slam her, steal her ponies, etc.  The other day she had had enough and she whacked him with her pillow.  It was the greatest day of his life and he will now bring her a pillow with which to hit him.  Sigh.

It was cold here for about three hours a couple of weeks ago.  Then it got hot again.

Amy and I took the kids to a pumpkin patch on a Friday morning.  It was empty, save for us, and Lou decided he was king of the pumpkins.

There was a great playground right next to this field, but the diggers got more attention than anything else.

Norah has a very definite opinion about what she will and won't wear these days.  This was a monumental day (because she decided to wear pants).  She needed new shoes as well and she picked these out.  She calls them her pom-pom shoes.

BVZ and I took the kids out to dinner last weekend and it was a disaster.  I don't think one single piece of food made it into Lou's mouth and all Norah wanted to do was eat the container of whipped butter instead of her (frightfully expensive) gluten free pancakes.  The only highlight was when I asked Norah if she wanted a chip.  She took it and said, "don't mind if I CHEW."  We cracked up and she said it was a line she heard on Word Girl.  She also said she had been waiting for days for the right time to say it.  She's four and her comedic timing is out of this world. So is, apparently, her memory to recall things she sees on television.  She's a bit of an idiot savant when it comes to tv.  The other night she was trying to get out of going to bed and so I made her fold laundry.  BVZ was emptying the dishwasher at the same time and she said, "See mom!  We work hard so you don't have to!"  Kid loves commercials.

The next night (a Monday) had been exceptionally long and I knew BVZ wouldn't be home anywhere close to dinner/bath/bed time, so I made a bold move and took them out to dinner by myself.  At a place down the street we go to a lot that has gluten free pizza.  It's not a kid restaurant per se, but they have servers who look the other way when terrorists under the age of two grind blackberries into the (cement) floor.

It was awesome.  I discovered the key is to 1) order a basket of sweet potato fries before even sitting down, and 2) order my food to go and instead of trying to eat myself, I just drink a glass of wine and pay attention to them.

(Lou had just gotten a haircut here.  He looks like Dennis the Menace.  Or maybe a white supremacist).

Reid was sick with a nasty virus last week that caused a scary high fever and 48 hours of misery for everyone involved.  We assumed he was over it and so I didn't pay much attention when he and Lou shared a lemon several days later.

And here is where we are today.  102 to 104, cranky and miserable.  He did start saying "cut the cheese" in the midst of his discomfort, so at least we know he's still in there somewhere.

Scary Halloween decorations are out.  Every time we walk past this guy Lou points and shouts "Uncle Mark!" which I think is hilarious until we walk past the scary lady with the red hair in the tree and he points and shouts, "Mommy!"

Speaking of Halloween, Bubby took all three kids tonight to a pumpkin festival and then back to her house for a sleepover.  Megan sent me this picture.  All of a sudden living in Texas is pretty damn sweet.