Abby's birthday is a crazy, rainy, almost-cold day, the first changing-season day we have had. I wake her at 7:50 (Late Start day) with a parade of starving animals. Otis leaps on the bed, nuzzling her cheek with a cold nose, the cat dashes madly under the bed and out and back in again. Chester can only muster his rise-and-shine yawn once he has left her room and is out in the hall. They all seem to agree the whole sleep-in-and-delay-breakfast thing is a dangerous idea. There is a jittery hysteria in the air.
Breakfast is a chocolate-peanut butter-banana shake. Sam has ordered Abby a lock-picking kit for his gift. The boy has a talent for picking presents - odd, but fitting. The humidity helps bring out the curl in Abby's hair - it's gorgeous this morning, but she is oblivious.
Abby comes home late from school; play practice, Romeo and Juliet (the lead boy is named Joe, they call him Joe-meo). She is out-of-sorts, tired and not hungry, and has lots of homework. Our plans to go to a jewelery store to buy her a nice bracelet and then out to eat are foiled. She doesn't want an expensive bracelet! She wants a cheap bracelet! We end up with a night in front of Seinfeld , eating take-out sesame chicken with crab-cheese wontons. I order her a bike-chain bracelet off Etsy for $20. Still very rainy and cool. A fox screams in the yard (aumakua!) - Otis cowers, Chester runs outside. Will have to finish celebration with a vanilla cake and grandparents over for cards on Friday or Saturday.
