FORTY-TWO

 

Last few NYC photos: Buddhist temple

2026 week forty-two

Chinatown 

Degas 

Rodin 

On Thursday we celebrated Theo's 11th birthday. For lunch Matt brought him sushi, and his requested dinner was fancy ramen and bacon wrapped steak bites. 

Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner and cake. It's not every day that your young man turns 11. 

Slowly working on V's Halloween costume. She and some friends are dressing up as the 6 wives of     Henry VIII from the musical Six. 

On Friday evening V and I went to the local ballet production of Dracula. It was very spooky and fun. 

While we were at Dracula, Theo and Matt were at a raucous and fun birthday party.

                     

V leaves interesting drawings on my board at school.

On Saturday we went to Theo's last ever Cub Scout camp out. On to Boy Scouts next year. 

V was using this horrible periscope to whistle into my ear while she was sitting on my lap to keep me warm. Matthew in no way encouraged or aided her in this. 

Over the last month, Matt has been overhauling our rain barrel. This is what it looks like at 12 years old. 

This is what it looks like today. 

It's a thing of beauty. 

FORTY-ONE

 

Grandpa spent the long weekend chaperoning the kids around NYC.

2026 week forty-one

Times Square

Museum of Natural History

Theo's favorite food in the world: sushi. Also featuring the sushi taco. 

Matt and I felt pretty nervous sending them off for a weekend where they would need to keep their wits about them. But every time we hear from them they only have positive things to say. They're really having the time of their lives. 

NYC pizza. 

The bull on Wall Street. 

The Statue of Liberty's face. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral. 

A little Van Gogh and Warhol. 

At the top of the Empire State building. They wanted to stick their heads through the railing so I would be nervous looking at the photos. 

They went to see Six on Broadway. V loves this musical, so she was beside herself to get to see it live. 

The Brooklyn Bridge. 

The Bears in Central Park. 

The very same bears 12 years ago. 

FORTY

 

It was a week of almost non-stop fun. Sunday evening was our annual Hobbit dinner where we eat the same meal the Hobbits ate at the Prancing Pony -hot soup, cold meat, fresh bread, butter, ripe cheese, and a blackberry tart. 

2026 week forty

On Tuesday we took a day off to go to the fair. It was the last horridly hot day of September before a storm blew in and dropped the temperature about 15 degrees. Our first stop was for funnel cake. 

Then we got corny dogs. 

We had to stop by the crafts building to see Theo's WWI tank scene. He got 3rd place! 

Matt's scorpion playing a guitar got honorable mention. 

And my peach jam got an honorable mention. 

Apparently Tuesday is the day to be at the fair for no one but us. We got to ride triple the amount of rides as last year because there were no lines. We also learned that the Texas Tower is at least as good as the Ferris Wheel and much more reasonably priced. And it's much harder for my family to terrorize me than on the ferris wheel.

On Wednesday I decided that it was time for a hair cut. 

It's the same big change I make every 5 years or so, but I finally found a great hair stylist so it's probably the best cut I've had in 15 years. 

On our lovely rainy Saturday morning I drove V down to an antique mall in Dallas that was hosting a Gilmore Girls themed day. There were photo ops around the enormous shop with hidden quotes in each booth. 

Shockingly, they ran out of coffee, but we did get to try the best vanilla cake I've ever eaten. 

Saturday evening was our annual apple party. I believe we've done this every year since we got married which makes this year 15. 

It had been rainy for a few days and off and on all day, so we made the good decision to open up the garage for added seating space and bobbing for apples. 

On Sunday Matt took Theo to scouts where they learned about knife safety while V and I walked around Michael's gathering halloween costume supplies. 

On Sunday Evening we celebrated a baptism with the local family. 

Quotes:

Me- "Why isn't papa sitting with us?"
Theo- "Because he's not a socialist." 
Me- "What?"
Theo- "He's an ANTI-SOCIALIST!"

Theo- "What's polygamy?"
V- "Think Zeus."
Theo- "Oh. Right."

V- "Can I pleas put on a really spooky song while we're eating dinner?"
Me- "Fine."
V covertly smiling puts on Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." 
Matt- "I've never been prouder."