Rusty is watching his first football game of the season: Ohio State vs. Texas. Every so often he yells excited at the screen: Yeah!! Oh!! Woo-Hoo!! Ah You Suck!! Arrgggh!!! Josh got into the spirit of watching football by walking around yelling too. More like barking. And he raised his arms in a mock touchdown. We’re going to try to teach “touchdown” by the end of the season. Joshua has his own game he likes to play. Whenever we get ready to plunge him onto the bed or sofa we usually countdown “one, two, three” followed by “wooo!” He started doing a fake count followed by a fake “wooo” in the car when he was bored. I hear him going “eh, eh, eh, oooh! uh, eh, oooh! teh, teh, teh, teh ooooh”. So I joined in by counting for him then we both go “wooo”. All I have to do now is count to three like a countdown and he goes “ooooh”. That’s our game. That and peek-a-boo through the curtain of his activity wall.

My mother-in-law pointed out to me that Josh is saying “no”. He’s been shaking his head to signal “no” for months now. Recently he’s starting to say “nuh” when he isn’t interested in whatever we’re asking him or offering him. “More peas?” I’ll ask. “Nuh, nuh” he’ll say shaking his head, squirming in his seat and pushing all food out of his way.

Josh has, by the way, a second molar coming in on the top. We don’t have sleep problems with teething, at least not this week. He’s always restless a bit at night around the same times: 1 or 2:30 and 5:30. Usually he just needs his binky reinserted and his puppy in hand. A few weeks ago he was difficult to keep asleep, so perhaps that was a precursor to teething.

I have decided I’m no longer dreading the big 3-0. I don’t have a choice- it’s coming with or without me. So I’m embracing this last youthful birthday. I wish I had a shirt to wear around town announcing my proclamation. I have some ideas of what it could say, like:

• Thirty never looked so Good!
• Dirty Thirty
• Real Life begins at 30

I also plan to get my hair styled. I won’t say publicly what I plan to do. I’ve made my decision. I've talked to my salon stylist. He made some suggestions. I’ve looked at pictures online and in magazines. I’ve thought about it a lot and can’t wait for my hair appointment later this week. I will say this. I decided this is probably my last real chance to be radically… uh, radical. I’m not in the public, I don’t have to present myself professionally (at least not in person, usually), I won’t be able to get away with doing this much later than my present job as Mom with Kid. If I ever wanted to do something wild or crazy with my hair, something liberal and unexpected, this is my last chance. Or so I perceive. Stay tuned.