Quickies

The Halloween spirit is in full force around here.  We are having our annual party (after taking a break last year due to my work commitments).  Norah has been wearing a different costume to dinner every night for a few weeks now.  The kids are going as Jake and Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I think I am going to be Mr. Smee and BVZ is going to be a "big surprise" that he refuses to reveal to the kids (spoiler alert: he's going to be a big, giant, scary crocodile--ie Tick Tock Croc.  The man is 6'3.  The neighborhood kids might never recover).

These two are going to be best friends even if it kills them.

The photo hear doesn't do it justice, but Texas is no joke when it comes to bugs.  20 minutes in the backyard and Lou had about 15 bites that oozed and seeped for at least a week.  Please notice his butt is still in a diaper.  Boyfriend has less than ZERO interest in potty training.  The other night before his bath I asked if he wanted to sit on the potty and he said, "I don't pee in the potty, I pee on the floor" and then he proceeded to pee on the floor.  Not that I am comparing or anything but by this age Norah was completely diaper free, even at night.  It is going to be a long haul with this one.  I am giving him until he turns three and then it is game on, like it or not.

The best part about having Fridays off is that I can have lunch at school with this girl.  I don't go every week, but it is great fun to see her in her element.  Seeing her cute face in action makes up for the fact that hanging with her means you have to eat lunch at 10:00 am.  Seriously.  10:00 am.

Speaking of Fridays, it's also the day that I get to spend some quality alone time with my dude.  I pick him up from school at 12:30 and then I let him pick what we do for the next few hours.  Most of the time he asks to go to Target where I buy him popcorn and a 97 cent hot wheels car.  Sometimes he picks the mall with all the ride-on vehicles.  Each one costs four quarters, so our deal is that he gets to ride ONE.  Last week he picked the bus, climbed in and started yelling, "Show me the honey!"

Norah went to a birthday party of one of her classmates last weekend and we stopped at Target to get a gift on the way there.  Nothing makes me laugh more than the Hulk mask so I made her try it on. She was horrified and made me promise never to show the photo to anyone for the "rest of my life." Mums the word.

The party was at a jump house from 7:00 to 9:00 (!) and it was fun to see Norah with some of the new friends she has made.  She is definitely a people pleaser and it is clear that she wants the other kids to like her.  Which is fine and usually that means she is kind and sweet, but I also fear it might mean she is a bit of a push over.  My concern is always that she stands up for herself and never gets talked into doing something she shouldn't just to keep the peace.  I am keeping an eye on it.

GG is keeping us cultured and renewed our season tickets to Broadway Across Austin.  Last weekend we saw Book of Mormon and it was h.i.l.a.r.i.o.u.s.  I am still laughing.  Highly recommend it.

Remember how many nights I stayed up agonizing over the fact that this kid would.not.eat?  Now? Eats like a horse.  I don't know if it can be attributed to no gluten, getting older, or expending so much energy at school, but I don't really care.  She routinely asks for food now.  Sweeter words have never been spoken.

Let's just hope some day her brother follows suit.