Each weekend comes round, and I tick it off: not going to Flag, not riding 6 Shooter, not exploring the high country. Going to a birthday party, going to the pool, going to the zoo. Is it acceptance, or numbness, that I mostly care not and only want to be with my kids? They are beautiful, and I can not be away from them without feeling incomplete, vulnerable, terrified.   I took them to the pool twice after work this week. Twice for Alana, actually, while G began rock climbing classes at the gym.

I read about the Mighty Mud Mania, and our plan for this weekend began.   The pictures and descriptions explain the details, fed G’s stoke. But Alana is complex, her enthusiasm builds slowly, so used to getting drug along, drug out of her comfort zone, always eyeing a defensible position.   As we expected, Alana warmed up slowly to the mud, preferring the safe comfort of walls around her. After a few hours, she rallied, and ended   as filthy as the other kids.

G suffered no such hesitation, only the minimum age requirement to run the large obstacle course.   We worked through that too.

Me: G, how old are you?
G: 5
Me: G, how old are you?
G: 7, Daddy

Some kids crept through the obstacle course, timid in body and mind. G smoked the older kids in her heat, sprinted end-to-end. I had not doubts. The biggest challenge was keeping her from redlining while waiting in line.

We needed to run her around, until the race started

she is on the far right, the one blowing up the field

After some time at home, snacks and a nap, we followed through on a promise of a kitten and headed to the Animal Shelter.

Well, not a kitten, those got flushed by a (shitbag)coworker, so with heavy hearts we vowed to save another life. We hoped to find an adult who would otherwise soon be gassed, but this guy at 9 months fit our needs of a male who would not threaten Turtle.

G named him Cybro. How she pulled that name out of her ass I do not know. She forgot it several times, but I kept reminding her, cause it is so much more unique than Max or Stripe, just like her. We goto pick him up in 2 days after his nards are whacked. Today we went to PetSmart to buy him litter and toys.