Big Day For The Grands

First things first! And that would be- first day back to school for the kiddos. And of course, Owen is first in that particular list. Our baby boy. I'm sure he's thrilled to be going back to school. You can see it on his face, right? 
Right?

Next up, Gibson Monroe. 

That sweet handsome boy! Lily says he's a little anxious about starting middle school. I get that. Middle school can be hard for so many reasons. 

I could not love Maggie's outfit more. She is ready to kick ass and take names in the second grade. While wearing tulle. 

On to the Weatherford babes. 

Here they are! And of course, Vergil's a babe too. Walking to school. They go to the same elementary school that my kids went to. I can remember wearing Jessie on a sling as I walked her sister Lily to that  school. There is a sense of rightness about this to me. I love that Levon is wearing a hand-me-down shirt from August and that August is wearing his pink shirt, pink flip-flops, and pink backpack. Honestly, I do not think that it even registers to August that most boys don't wear a lot of pink. It's his favorite color. Therefore- he shall wear it. Jessie has asked him if anyone ever tells him that boys shouldn't wear pink and he says, "Not really!" She told us that this morning Levon looked at August and said, "You look great, August! Like a girl!" And Jessie said, "He does look great. He looks like August!" 

Here's the one that melts my heart. 

Walking through those front doors,  August with his arm on Levon's back. He is such a good big brother. All will be well on the first day of kindergarten. 

So that is that report. 

I had a fairly unusual day for me. Well, mostly. 

I met Lily and Lauren and Jessie at the nail place and we got settled into our chairs after we'd picked out our polishes and had a terrific time being pampered and making jokes and laughing and talking about our lives. There were only a few other people in the salon and I could not help but wonder what they were thinking. If I'd been in their place, I would have been avidly eavesdropping. I did notice the one man in the salon looking over from his chair with interest when we began discussing gardening issues. 
I would show you my feet but they just look weird and not entirely beautiful although my nails are. My feet look like a country woman's feet with ant bites and scratches and a healing blister. I chose my default color, the one I almost always get, an OPI color entitled "I'm Not Really A Waitress." 

I grabbed that picture off the internet and no, I did not get my fingernails polished. What would be the point? It would last approximately ten minutes. I've been wearing this same color for at least twenty years and thank you, OPI, for not discontinuing it. Other colors may come close to it, but it is the one and only true original for me. 

Then we went to lunch at the restaurant where Jessie and Lily get the Brussels Sprouts that I am always bitching about because they stink up the whole restaurant. Honestly, by now I would be SO disappointed if they didn't get them. It is part of the ritual. I got my regular Asian salad with ahi which I love but today the tuna just did not taste the same and I ended up not eating it. What a waste! But it wasn't quite right. Ah well, the rest of the salad had plenty of other delicious things in it and I did not suffer. 

Here's the requisite after-dining picture. 

Don't you love Lauren's shirt? 

We had so much fun at lunch. Nobody makes me laugh like my kids and as I've always said, they are my greatest teachers and I find myself at the age of 69 still learning from them every time we're together. Lauren is a bit quieter but that is just her way. And when she does talk, she has something to say, that one. 

After lunch I decided to go to Petco and get some cat dewormer. You do not need to know the basis for this decision but let me assure you that I DO have a basis and it was gross. 

And right next door to Petco is a Beall's outlet or maybe it's just a Beall's. Who knows? But I decided to go in there to check out their collection of flip flops and while I was there I perused the dress section. Now let me say that Beall's does not carry the highest quality clothing. But it's always worth a look-around, right? And I have not been clothing shopping in an actual retail store in...

Oh. Who knows? 
I went through all the dress offerings and ended up buying one very simple sundress with pockets and I like it fine. It didn't cost much, either. But after about twenty minutes of that, I had to get out of there. They sell all sorts of scented crap and I can't handle that and although there were only a few people in the store, it was too much stimulation for me. 

And THEN I got gas at Costco because, as I told Mr. Moon yesterday when we were on our way to the river, I was almost out of gas. I panic when my gas gauge gets down to a quarter of a tank which in my car, would probably get me to Jacksonville and back. But- better safe than sorry, right?

After that, I came home and rushed around doing all the little chores that I had not done all day which was gratifying. I've got a pot of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove and hopefully, tonight's supper will be served before 8:30 which is about when last night's supper hit the table. 
Hey! It was worth the wait! 

So that's been my day here in Lloyd and in Tallahassee. I am wearing my new dress. I asked Mr. Moon if he liked it and he said he did and I told him that he could borrow it if he wanted to. 
"No thanks," he said. 
"Well, think about it," I told him. 
"I did," he said and we both laughed. 

Unfortunately, he does not have the same opinion as our grandson August when it comes to supposedly gender-appropriate clothing. Remember when I used to make August dresses? And then Levon too? They saw the dresses that I made Maggie and they wanted some. I loved that. 

And that is enough for today. And far more. 

Love...Ms. Moon