Walking Backwards

Well, we're back to the land of the living. Thanks to all who sent their condolences. I am quite surprised how difficult this actually is to make it through. The two days following my dad's phone call, I remained optimistic and utterly in denial. When we checked into our hotel, I was relatively happy (we don't stay in hotels very often). During dinner with my dad on Friday night we talked about politics and real estate investment. When we got into the car to go to my grandmother's funeral, I started crying. When we got to the funeral home I was sobbing. How I made it through the funeral without anyone having to escort me out, I'll never know. My great intentions of being the one to support and comfort my father were dashed. I was a wreck. I am better now. I still have my random moments where I shed a few tears, but the overwhelming nature of my prior despair has diffused. I am now functional again. Damn, these things are hard sometimes.


Other things have been going in our lives, too. Nicholas went trick-or-treating for the first time ever on Sunday. He had no idea what was going on. The first few houses we went to, Nicholas would start to walk inside the moment the owners opened their doors. He finally realized that he was just there for the people to put something in his bag. We never did get him to say "trick-or-treat," but he did say thank you and "BYE!" after each candy fix. After about ten houses, he looked into his bag to discover that people were putting chocolate in it! He would go no further, until he was allowed a piece of candy. After a Twix bar, he was ready to go finish off the street. Thanks to daylight savings time, we go home before eight. Nicholas got quite a haul, but we are only going to allow him one piece after lunch and then have Joe take whatever is left over to work with him at the end of next week. I will endure a little chocolate-covered hyperactivity and the constant cries for "candy!" to allow my son this joy of childhood. I only wish that we had more than one knock on our door. We have so much candy left, I've already given myself a headache trying to get through a little of it. Thankfully, Halloween only comes once a year. I am now dreading Easter.


Tonight, Joe, Nicholas and I are going to the circus. Nico's preschool is sponsoring Circus Chimera and we have two tickets that we didn't sell (and ended up having to buy ourselves). I hope Nico has a good time. I'll be glad to avoid the whole election mess on television. I can look it up tomorrow and I don't need the stress. Maybe they'll let us take pictures. I hope there are big pretzels, I love big pretzels.


Speaking of pictures, here is Nico in his costume. He's a doctor, in case you were wondering. He wouldn't wear a stethoscope, let alone a mask. He did like the baby sized scrubs, though.






(Please note the red marker scribbles on his leg. He also had them all over his hands. I had to explain that he was going as a surgeon.)