September Days
Lucas seems to be adjusting pretty well to Treasure Garden. I blew it yesterday and forgot Baby Tidoo at home. I was out during the day, but came home to a phone message from Miss Keiko saying, “Lucas would really like to have Baby Tidoo for naptime today, if you can bring her over.” (You have to imagine the Japanese accent.) I could hear Lucas shrieking in the background, crying for his dolly. Yes, I felt like a schmuck. I guess she held him until he finally fell asleep.
I apologized to them both, and promised never to forget Baby Tidoo again. I think I have proven my determination to Lucas by taping a little sign up on the front door. It says, “Don’t forget Baby Tidoo!!” He thinks that’s funny, and seems to have forgiven me.
Today, it sounds like Lucas napped at preschool without too much trouble (with Baby Tidoo snug in his arms). They made vegetable soup together at school. They played and got dirty. They were all seated around the table eating grapes and almonds when I came to pick Lucas up.
I should also mention that he talks about Ex-Teacher pretty often. Like all the way to TG today, he talked about Ex-Teacher and Ex-Preschool. He doesn’t believe me when I say that she’s not having school–that she closed the school. He’s sure she will come back and he will be able to go to her house and play with her. Adjusting to the new stuff isn’t turning out to be that hard. Letting go of the old stuff really is, though. I can tell Lucas is grieving and trying to sort out why a fixture of his life has vanished. Miss Keiko doesn’t sound worried, though. And she’s not taking any of what he says personally, either. That’s good because he’s said, “I like Miss Ex-Teacher. I’m going to go back to her preschool when she comes back.”
It’s somewhat warm today. More like our typical September weather than the last week has been. Lucas and I decided to go to my parents’ house for a swim. The air was lovely and warm; the water was frigid. Still, that doesn’t stop him from enjoying himself. And therefore, I bravely followed him into the pool. We splashed and played games until our lips turned blue. Lucas is quite the accomplished swimmer: provided he has his water wings on. (I meant to take him to swimming lessons this summer, but somehow time just got away from us. My work never really let up at all.)
Speaking of work, I’m swamped. I turned down four projects last week and one today! I hate turning down work. Even when I’m busy and the funds are flowing in, I always feel like starvation is just around the corner. I guess that’s freelancing for ya. Got a fat check from a client today (billed in advance), so I guess I really have to do the work.
This past weekend we were able to buy some clothes for each of us, and new tires for my car! That felt good. I’ve been driving around on a leaky rear tire for more than a year now. It’s been dangerously underinflated so often that the wear pattern on the tire was pretty grim. Ian’s new duds are swanky and for work. Lucas’s are practical and for the sandbox. And mine will probably never see the light of day, as they are grown-up, wear-them-outside-the-house-and-into-the-world kind of clothes. A girl’s gotta dream.
