Fourteen: Four Weeks
While Puck was busy wrapping up his fourth week of school, including more maps, which he seems to love – apparently we do have something in common – Yali and I arrived at appointment Number Fourteen, his sixth physical therapy session, followed by another good report.
Nixing our original plan for apple picking, due to rain and mud, Yali and I joined Gloria, Kitts, and Elvis at Chesterfield Mall for a couple hours of fun for the boys.
The Carousel – Yali seemed pretty fascinated with the tiger, which had been decked out in Halloween finery by the carousel operator and nicknamed “Miz” for obvious reasons, so I belted him on the tiger’s back and he took a spin. Elvis was just behind him, preferring the bench.
The Escalator – both boys, while still managing to mostly ignore each other because they’re only two, amused themselves about seven times or so, with this piece of machinery that might as well be a rollercoaster for all they were concerned.
Lunch & The Train – wraps, chicken fingers, and fries. The kiddos managed to down enough of their meals before fidgeting off their chairs to the tiny train station by the carousel where we took a spin around the mall in the caboose.
Dessert – soft-baked cookies at the dessert station by the train station. Elvis had plastered himself in chocolate by the time it was about 12:15 and we parted ways for the afternoon.
Yali and I spent the next couple of hours at Faust Park, where he napped in the back seat covered in my Cardinals jacket. Then we walked through the old historical village and the fading flower gardens, towers of September clouds ruffling cooler breezes into the city. I hated to admit it, but even though summer was supposed to stick with us for the next week and a half, it seemed pretty obvious that fall was about to rob summer.
Movie night found all six Snicketts kids and Oxbear cringing through 99 minutes of “Kung Fu Hustle” in the basement with paper bags of Trader Joe’s Cowboy Bark and sparkling pomegranate juice.
“WHY?!” was the comment of choice throughout the particular film in question.
CARDINALS:
4 games up on Pittsburgh: 88 and 52; 22 games remaining.
Magic Number: 19.