Today I made a huge pot of potato leek soup to feed family who came by for the afternoon. Uncle G brought gifts from his recent work related trip to South Africa (he’s editing a documentary) and also a copy of an audio piece he created for the Sept 11th anniversary. He used a friend’s emailed letters from just after the attacks and had them read by about thirteen different people. The voices sometimes overlapped, and sometimes different voices read the same lines in unison. Then a single voice might read a few lines. The music in the background was sparse and mostly kind of abstract sounds creating a mostly somber mood (I have an earache and can’t focus too well, so sorry if I sound ditzy). The overall effect was amazing, and illustrated how the letters were from one specific New Yorker, but really from all of them or any one of them, if that makes sense. It was interesting to hear the letters interpreted by the different actors and actresses, since I read them when they were sent three years ago.

Willow’s Grandma also came, and G’s girlfriend, too. We got to just eat and sit around and talk. I love these fall afternoons when the holidays are distant enough to not be stressful yet. And, at this time of year I am again grateful that my husband is not what you’d call a sports fan. That means our Sundays are peaceful and lazy unless we decide to go out and hike or something unlazylike.

This week will be devoted to making and selling cookies at the school for a book buying fundraiser. The second graders every year raise money to buy books for kids whose families can’t buy them. Then Lexy will get his cast removed !hooray! and we’ll have to come up with a Halloween outfit for him by friday when the school has a parade and party. He wanted to be a sstarr vars character, but the school forbids any real or play weapons as part of the costume (also no scary ones) and so he’s going to be something else. He didn’t like my suggestion, which was that he wear the nasa coverall he got from his grandfather for his birthday and, using craft wire, attach small things to it and make it look like they’re floating. Then I could spike up his hair and make his shoelaces go straight up with some glue and he’s an astrounaut in space with no gravity. He just rolled his eyes at me. If only kids knew that the more they roll their eyes at us, the more fun we have embarassing them! Heh. just kidding. But I’m not really ready to move into the phase of parenting where I’m an embarassment. I much prefer total adoration.