Dub-Dub Becomes W

Whenever an older parents speaks nostalgically about how fast his or her child or children grew up, I always pretend to sympathize, agree, or understand. In fact, I did it just yesterday with one of the HOA pool regulars. Today, I started to feel it as Anders said "W" instead of "dub-dub." We loved dub-dub because it was cute, snappy, and smart. We think it makes much more sense than "double-U."
I did not mind when he stopped calling me "Dee" or when he stopped calling his shoes his "doos," but losing dub-dub will be hard. Anna said that tonight he said "dub-dub" as if to make her feel better.
Tonight as I was walking Anders around before bedtime, he started making the noise of a suckling calf even though he had no milk and is not bovine, to my knowledge. There was no reason for this, which made it even funnier. I started laughing silently, which made Anders laugh, and made me laugh more, to which he said, "Laughing....laughing!" He usually says "funny" in that situation so he's learning more descriptive words.
We took him back to the dry cleaners yesterday where we found a third Vietnamese-American who popped out of the back room to be impressed by Anders. This guy had Anders up on the table in a half-hug naming letters as an older African American man marveled at him. Tom Friedman would have loved that moment. As Anders and I walked back to the car where Anna was waiting, she said his chest was puffed out and he looked 10 feet tall.
We also hung out with our friend Lauren the Lifeguard at the pool. Anders calls going to the pool "Five!" since that is his favorite depth at the pool. He also likes seeing the turtle, crab, and fish painted on the bottom of the baby pool. He can touch all around the baby pool, but he prefers to glam onto his floating fortress of a father. When we go in the big pool, I make Anders kick and float a bit.
I felt like I had to make up some time with Anders yesterday because on Monday a spontaneous opportunity sprung up to go to the Texans preseason Monday Nighter vs. the Jets. I had not been to any iteration of an NFL game until then. We had seats 29 rows up on the 45 yard line, pretty sweet. They were a donor/alum's seats. I'd love to see a regular season game, but I hear those tickets are hard to come by. I think I could get behind the Texans as they remind me of my 2009 Vikings. They have a lot of stars, lack intangibles, and have an intellectually over matched coach. I'm not going to say much bad about the Texans in public because that last time I made the aforementioned points was in a bank lobby to a man I came to find out as our conversation progressed was mentally challenged.
Regardless, Reliant Stadium is an impressive structure. It's amazing how they can effectively air condition all of that space. The stadium makes the Metrodome look like the UNI Dome! Oh, they also do that lame Golden Gopher 1st Down cheer for the Texans. I don't know how they expect to win, ever.
Also, the 8th Wonder of the World, the Astrodome, is still standing. The Astrodome is in BAD shape, but they can't tear it down because of the potent amount of asbestos in the building. It would cost $100 million or thereabouts to take it down. Someone suggested that Lakewood Church could commandeer it if Joel Osteen needs to expand out of the old Summit. I drive by the Summit everyday on my way to work.
Anna and Anders have begun honing their act in the Anna and Anders Show. I'm so happy that Anna get to have this time with Anders, but I'm a bit jealous because he's so much more fun this year than he was last year at this time. Once he started walking in April, it became a lot easier and more interesting to play with him.
Trudy continues to struggle, but things are improving. We finally found a scratching post that works for her. We've also allowed her in the backyard, which she enjoys. We've decided that Trudy is interested in buying the house next door to us. She wants to stay close, but needs a break from Anders. She enjoys the house's shrubbery in the front yard and the white tile patio in the back yard. Whenever Trudy escapes, that's where she goes--house hunting. She has no collateral or assets, but she is intrigued, which counts for something in this housing market.
Anna took Anders to library story time here for the first time, which ran smoothly with 40 kids and two librarians. They had crafts and skits and plays. It sounded pretty amazing. I rag on Athens about a lot, and with good reason, but not library story time. Amy did a really good job and it was a highlight of my week. This library sounds like it's just at a whole other level.
We continue to love Sugar Land. I'm partial to the somewhat New Hope-esque suburb east of Sugar Land, Missouri City--The Show Me City (its actual motto). The Dry Cleaners are in Mo City as is one of the Targets and the HEB grocery store at which I want to start shopping. Anna gets a kick out of my nonsensical affinity for Mo City.
I think I mentioned earlier that our school has a chef, not like KFC has a chef, but a real one. Anyway for the first day of school we had crusted tilapia and a squash medley. They also had a beginning of the year breakfast this morning where the headmaster was in back slinging hash with the cooks. I had a great first day. The students and I vibed well. They seemed to get my sense of humor, which was not usually the case in Chillicothe. My best connections in Chilly were times that I discussed 80s music with my non-trad students.
Things aren't all rosy, however, as our foundation needs to be fixed. That will be an all-day Saturday project for which one of us must be around. The bad foundation was the cause of many of our problems. Once it is fixed, then we can get a new garage door. So maybe by next week we will be settled, literally, in this house.
I was talking to me friend Jeff who also left Athens once upon a time. He compared this feeling of exhilaration to that of getting out of prison. My friend Bill also compared his time in Athens to doing time. MN Steve rejected another year of OU History Dept. funding, choosing to move back in with his parents rather than stay in Athens.
People are so nice and friendly and competent every day! I keep expecting to wake up from this dream. I don't even mind that the temperature has been over 100 degrees every day that we have lived here. They put "99" four days out on the five day forecast just to give people some false hope. It may not drop below 100 until my birthday and it will not sour my Sugar Land honeymoon.