This weekend was a mix of a basketball game for Jude, errands, cleaning house, and naps. We’re on the downhill slide of October and Jude turns nine next week. NINE. Halfway to eighteen. Which means, to a mother, that we’re halfway to him leaving the nest and I cannot even begin to consider this. In some ways it’s the blink of an eye, and in other ways the days are so long.

Archer is probably to thank for those days feeling long, that little stinker.

Simon’s birthday dinner was Friday night at our house. He bought a grill for himself and he made his famous burgers for our parents. I was sooooo tired. The new sofa arrived somewhat unexpectedly that morning which meant I basically moved furniture all day long. It was a furniture jigsaw puzzle in the front living room, which means that something prooooobably has to go. Sigh.

Anyway, the whole point of this was that I was exhausted and basically have turned the whole house upside down only to turn around that night and host everybody over here. Which is fine – but there’s still the pressure of “OMG I better make it all look spectacular because we are entertaining!”

Except … why does it matter? It’s family, for Pete’s sake. All that matters is that we enjoy being together, no matter what it looks like in here.  Internet, did I ever tell you about the time I heard Jude welcome the neighbor kid over and then heard him say “Pardon the mess, it’s such a disaster in here” shortly after the kid walked in the door.

Which is pretty much verbatim what he’s heard come out of my mouth. It was one of those moments where you feel your soul scrunch up and sob.

NOPE. Done apologizing. We’re real people and we REALLY live here.

Saturday night, we were minus the older kid, so we took the younger one out on a downtown date to ride the ferris wheel at the appropriately named Wheeler District. FYI, the Wheeler Ferris Wheel is actually from the Santa Monica Pier several years ago and the entire area is being developed by the family who developed Carlton Landing, except in a far more urban setting. There’s not much there yet other than the beautifully and colorfully lit ride, but it’s exciting to see the potential.

We saw Carlton Landing in the very beginning – like, 2 houses built total – and that’s kind of how Wheeler is right now. Raw, unrealized. And to think now only a few years later how much CL has changed.

Archer was mesmerized by the ferris wheel. ????

Like deer in the headlights mesmerized.

And then back together again to snuggle up together in the big bed and hang out watching football.

Unrelated to any of this, but funny nonetheless.

Scene: dashing out to the school fall festival on a Friday evening

Jude: Why are you wearing a suit?

Me: Uhhh, this is not a suit. This is jeans and a tee and a BLAZER. There is a difference. (said pointedly).

Jude: No there isn’t. That. is. a. SUIT. You are wearing a SUIT to the fall festival.

Me: No, child. I am what we call “stylish.” I look casual, yet pulled together. I’m J.Crew chic.

Jude: (eyebrows raised) Well all I know is, you’re going to show up there and everybody’s gonna say “Why is Jude’s mom wearing a suit?”

End scene.