I have just added links to my library and to a work in progress page. Both need updating and I think I will be working on this over the next few weeks. Every once in a while, the text on those pages wraps and makes no sense, but I have found if I refresh, the pages are fine.

So as I said earlier, we went to meet E's brother and dad for lunch at Lupe's, which if I had linked in my earlier post, I would have known does not open until 5:30 PM on Saturday. Just a little late for lunch if you ask me.

Since we discovered they were closed, we drove down the freeway a couple of exits, a mile or so if you aren't at all familiar with Houston, and had lunch at Pappasitos, certainly my favorite anyway, though Lupe's is always a fine second. It was as always, fabulous, and E's son even enjoyed some beef enchiladas.

We then drove the hour to her sister's house up in Spring, just the other side of town really. I think J was supposed to meet us there to swim and relax, but he was about an hour or so later than we were, and K was getting ready to go tail gate it at the first pre-season Texans game. For her to be able to do this, I had agreed to babysit her two year old son, B. He is a hoot, and always fairly well behaved for us. We lest K's house about 4, and brought B home with us.

We feel it is our jobs as favored Aunties to corrupt him, within reason of course. The last time we had him for the day we went to the mall to kill some time. There is a carousel there and he rode it with E, thoug he would not get on a horse. He was mesmerized by all the colors, and as long as he could sit with her in Cinderella's coach (or somebody's coach), and not forced to ride a damn horse, he was fine, and even enjoyed it. Today he would "pet" one of the horses, but still is not ready to mount on up.

After the carousel, we find something he will eat. The food court is rather extensive so there are plenty of options, but he has a very limited palate still, though his mom is usually amazed at what he will eat for me. Tonight it was nuggets and fries from Chick-Fil-A. Last time we went, it was fries and soft serve ice cream at McD's.

My theory about him eating better for me than he does for his folks is that they passify him with animal cookies a lot, so he is less hungry. Maybe he does not get them as much at home, but when we are all visiting together, it seems he gets a steady stream of snackies to keep him from fussing, usually animal cookies, kix, grahams, with the occasional banana or grapes thrown in. And he is a junkie for boxed mac-n-cheese, but who isn't really.

After some dinner, we head on to the toystore. The one at this mall is a KB, and in my opinion, sucky. When we took B there the last time, he was in awe of the place. He had a dumbstruck look on his face, and I could just tell he had never been to a toy store. E said no way, surely he had been repeatedly by now. I asked his mom, and she said are you nuts? No way! We headed straight to the Hot Wheels, and he picked one right away. I went further down the aisle and found the multi packs and asked B what he thought of the yard of cars, a 5 pack that was a yard long. He saw it and immediately dropped what was in his hand and took the yard of cars. We repeated this a few times, and he returned three times to the yard of cars. Tonight it was more of the same and we got another yard-o-cars. I think three or four more trips and he will have all of them.

Of course, as soon as we leave the store, the cars are opened and he clutches the five of them to his chest as if they are his most prized possessions. Next to "Baby", his stuffed Cocker Spaniel he sleeps with, they are. Just try to relieve him of even one of his cars and you will regret it.

After the mall, it was off to make an appearance at a friend's birthday party. We were really too tired to stay longer, but also, at just the right moment, B's allergies began to show. We stayed about an hour or so and visited all around. It is always good to see them, but there are always a lot of people we really do not know well at their parties, so we do not usually stay too long.

After all of the above, I was able to revisit getting a two year old ready for bed. He is amicable to the process, certainly, but it is something I have not had to do for about 10 years or so. Time for bed myself now!!