Norah's Boyfriend

Note: For those of you following along with Piper and the Gren, Part 3 has been posted. The link on the left-hand side menu will keep you up to date on the story posting.

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I know someday she’ll be old enough to read this. And at that point, young Norah will most likely be horrified at my choice of the word “boyfriend.” But in the meantime, I get to write this unfettered by my daughter’s impending realization that boys have cooties. So, boyfriend it is.

Norah and David go way back. For over a third of Norah’s life, she’s been joyously pushing David down and steeling his toys. He doesn’t seem to mind, so I guess it works out for everyone. They met at the Little Gym where they were a perfectly matched little pair. Same size, same hair, roughly the same development level although David had a few words and was a bit more stable on his feet (when he wasn’t being pushed.) Based on the kids’ budding relationship and the fact that his folk’s seemed like cool people, Moonshot and I made an effort to chat with David’s parents. A weak effort, mind you, since we’re horridly introverted and small talk is painfully awkward. But, they seemed nice, so we kept up the unnatural at of…meeting…new…people, and eventually got comfortable conversing with them.

When the Little Gym class ended, we set up a play date for the kids and have since got together with David and his family twice for social functions.

I don’t have nicknames picked out for David’s mom and dad yet. Partially because I don’t know them quite well enough to label them the McCheeses (after we learned together that no matter how much you beg, a gas grill will not melt fat-free cheese…it’ll just make cheese-flavored rocks atop your pizza) and partially because my wife refuses to join me in my thought experiment.


Me: What’s the opposite of a kangaroo?


Moonshot: Nothing, that’s stupid.


Me: It’s…I’m trying to think of a good nickname for David’s folks so I can mention them on the blog.


Moonshot: You are such a dork.


Me: True, but what’s the opposite of a kangaroo?


Moonshot, sighing a she realizes I will not go away until she plays: Fine. Um, I don’t know. Some animals have opposites. Like if you said dog, I’d say cat, but….oh, my God, I can’t do this. It’s too stupid. I’m going upstairs to read.

So, for now I’ll just call them David’s mom and dad.

Anyway, before I sidetracked myself, I was meandering this post toward our recent trip to the pumpkin patch. The 90-degree weather made it slightly difficult to get into the pumpkin selection mood, but we did our level best to make it festive. And since the kids had no pumpkin related expectations anyway…fun was had by all.

Don’t they make a cute couple? (Sorry, future Norah!)