The weather has (briefly) cooled, the office windows have been thrown wide open, and all of a sudden, the Manager is reenergized and uber-productive. We went to the Exercise Place this morning, for the second time this week, with additional plans to try a scary, new class on Friday, making three total visits this week for Manager w/ staff. (We’ll see if it really happens.) The employees fared well once again at the Exercise Place Outsourcer, with N.Lo just a little fussy in the beginning. I’m told that they had each other belly-laughing over who knows what, which I love. Teamwork!

Following the EPO, we met up with a group of other companies at the park for an impromptu picnic and later on, a duck feeding. It was really a goose feeding, considering the ratio of geese to ducks. An army of geese, it was, and the creatures were downright brazen. K.Lo was interested in helping feed the crew initially, until we were surrounded by birds exactly N.Lo’s height, with flapping wings and poop everywhere. Sort of a surreal experience, really, and K.Lo begged to be held. We left the geese after awhile and ventured over to the bridge to try and spy some turtles, with much success, though once the geese figured out the turtles (and koi) were the new recipients of their precious crumbs, it was all over for the turtles. We stayed at the park until it began to sprinkle, and headed back to the office.

I was also feeling inspired to begin planning N.Lo’s 2nd Date of Hire Anniversary Party, and after tossing around a few ideas, I finally came up with a simple, fun, cost-friendly party idea. Costumes were a consideration, but ultimately discarded. We needed a park. Something else fun to do would be ideal. And then it hit me that N.Lo (and K.Lo) loves the animals (i.e. chickens) at the place where they hold our weekly farmer’s market. There is a playground. A huge, beautiful space to run around. And, when I called to make sure a kids’ birthday party reservation was even possible, it turned out they offer hayrides as well. For not very expensive at all. So, we will have some cupcakes with our friends, play on the playground, visit the chickens, and cap it all off with a hayride. Easy, and about the best morning possibly imaginable for little N.Lo.

Between a post-Outsourcer excursion to Target yesterday and the park today, it was Napless Day 2 for N.Lo. We imagined he was fine, until dinner hour, when he threw a little fit over his peas and chicken nuggets. The CEO strongly cautioned against nugget-smooshing and pea-throwing, and N.Lo did not abide. Unfortunately, N.Lo remains thoroughly cute while pouty and sullen and pitiful, and it becomes hard not to laugh… I had to duck around the corner during much of the conflict.

After a few more tearful episodes and increased clumsiness, he was ready for the Night Shift by 7 PM, we will make an extra effort to get in Afternoon Break tomorrow. Clearly, he’s not ready to give it up, and frankly, neither am I. The arrangement works well for both parties.