Zip, it's November

As soon as our son was born, time sped up for me. By the end of his first week, he had grown visibly, and I was already nostalgic for him as a newborn. While time goes slowly for kids -- remember how long first grade seemed to last? or the long stretches between holidays? -- it seems to speed up proportionately for the grown-ups around them.

Last night, while trick-or-treating, we saw our dogs' vet and her son, who is about seven months younger than our son. We only had the chance to say, "Oh, hi!" to each other, but wow, how these boys have grown!

It was chilly, in the 40's, but mercifully, there was very little wind. Some of the people had gone all-out, decorating their porches with black lights and fog machines. One lady was passing out candy by the big handful, out of a big orange three-gallon bucket. We coached our son to say, "Trick or treat!" and "Thank you!" and I heard that rarest of all lost arts, the response "You're welcome!"

Our son's costume was his own invention: he had a pair of fairy wings, and he wanted to wear his blue clothes and be an Ice Fairy. We bought a packet of glow-in-the-dark stars at the dollar store, and with these and a bamboo skewer and some tape, I made him a wand. To me, it looked like one of those made-up-at-the-last-minute desperation costumes, but it was all his idea, and he was proud of it. Luckily at age seven a boy can declare "I'm a fairy" and not be instantly teased to death.

This morning he generously gave me a Reese's peanut butter pumpkin. What a nice kid!

The phone guy came yesterday and fixed our connection. He said it looked like mice had been chewing in the cable access box! Plenty of mice at the edge of the soybean field where the access box stands.

I finished the headboard shelf yesterday. Today I want to sand the edges and prime it. When it is finally painted and mounted, the bed will be completely done. It is absolutely rock-steady, and doesn't wiggle or move at all even when my husband climbs on it. I think our total expenditure for 2x4's, 2x6's, plywood, the bolt kit, and paint, is still under $200. Pretty good for a bed that can eventually go to college with him someday.

I haven't mentioned knitting -- because I haven't done any. That's okay: I'm allowed to take breaks even from things I love.