• I think I’ve mentioned before that K.Lo is on something of a “bug” kick. She enjoys the HD Theater channel’s show about bugs, which involves no narration, just vivid, extreme close-ups of various insects in action. (It’s kind of peaceful, actually.) And in addition to books and what I’m sure are preschool lessons, she has acted out the activities of certain bugs: caterpillars, roly-polies, ladybugs, and grasshoppers. Most entertaining. Also, for months and months now, whenever asked what she is going to be for Halloween, the answer is invariably “butterfly.” Can’t wait to come up with something!
• N.Lo continues to play to the part of Pooh Bear stuck in small spaces. He likes to climb the ladder on K.Lo’s bed, particularly at bedtime, when he can attempt to avert such tasks as uniform changing and teeth-brushing with more success than just running down the hall. Although he tries that, too. The other day, however, he became wedged in-between the bottom ladder rung and the mattress. I had a picture of a tub of margarine and a rescue mission in my mind until I realized I could push the mattress back, allowing a little bit more room for him to crawl out. So I pushed back the mattress, pushed up on his bottom to encourage him to crawl through, and he grunts, “PUSHHHHH” as he struggles out of the space. Reminded me of a delivery room, ha ha ha.
• Overall this week at the office, the work day has gone along at a fairly miserable tedious crawl. The CEO is working overtime at the “other” office, which is a wonderful blessing for our finances, for which we are most grateful, but the transition has been challenging for us all, particularly when combined with LACK OF GOOD, UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP. I’m not a shade bitter. In fact, I daresay that the overtime really has much less to do with the borderline hostile grouchy working environment this week than the abominable situation on the Night Shift. Decent sleep makes all the difference, for everyone, it is a simple fact. Both employees are to blame have experienced issues this week, from nightmares to possible teething and headaches. [N.Lo bent down to pick up a hat yesterday, clunked his forehead on the corner of the coffee table, sat down to cry, and as I was reaching for him, he fell backward onto the bottom brick step and punctured the back of his skull. Just as the CEO came home for lunch, blood everywhere. The cut turned out to be tiny, but at first it was difficult to tell. So anyway, yes, years off my life a headache for N.Lo at night.] Additionally, K.Lo has protested and thoroughly tested the limits of our Employee Code of Conduct,often refusing to listen and/or comply with more serious regulations, such as not running wildly in and around the tent, chasing N.Lo and threatening to send them both, yet again, sailing into sharp furniture corners. Grrr.
• The water line behind the washing machine was draining, once more, at a crawl, and our friend the plumber came over yesterday to check it out. K.Lo was alternately shy or frightened of the plumber (who is the nicest guy with a son exactly N.Lo’s age) and curious about him. She named him Harry-Tom (neither is his name) and asked frequently, “What is Harry-Tom doing? Where did Harry-Tom go? How old is Harry-Tom?” Well, Harry-Tom fixed the problem and also armed us with advice and toxic substances to address the problem monthly, so we don’t have to see Harry-Tom again for a long while. Hopefully. Meanwhile, however, we missed our chance at the farmer’s market that morning, as well as the Manager’s all-important yoga class, both of which made the Manager exponentially more surly frustrated.
• And then I broke my wireless mouse.
• And then we didn’t sleep well AGAIN last night.
• K.Lo woke up N.Lo with her down-the-hall shouting, in spite of my repeated venomous requests to not do that.
• We were late to Outsourcer, I left my keys in the car with the car unlocked, and had bright yellow Silly Putty all over my pants and didn’t know it until K.Lo asked, “What’s that?”
• I keep thinking of the book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week Day.
• We can only hope to turn it around. Fingers crossed for good production on the Night Shift this evening. Or someday. Whenever. On the plus, we received a great big box of free organic veggies today, out of luck and kindness, more than making up for the missed trip to the farmer’s market! The Kitchen Staff plans to try its hand at ratatouille. And, the CEO has been kind enough to let me run off to yoga this evening, right after dinner and before bedtime, a fairly hectic time of day in our company.
• There are also cute, charming moments to balance out our failing will to live wavering company morale, such as K.Lo asking to wear her zucchini, i.e. a bikini. She seemed to have a great day at preschool, coming home with a paper helicopter that you throw into the air and watch spin on the way down. And this morning I listened to the following conversation between coworkers at the cafeteria table.

K.Lo: N.Lo, did you get a boo-boo on your head?

N.Lo, after a pause: Yeah.

K.Lo: What happened?

N.Lo: Ummm…

K.Lo: Did you fall on the stairs?

N.Lo: Yeah.

K.Lo: Aw. It’s okay. That happens sometimes, where you bump your head…

Simple pleasures. And this too shall pass…