Fall in Houston!

OK, not really. Living in Houston, we have come not to expect big seasonal changes. One doesn't get fall at all really, let alone anything like "indian summer." On the other hand, we have learned to be attentive to the slightest fluctuations in whether and lo and behold September 1st was noticeably not as god-awful hot as August has been. So Sarah very intelligently took the boys outside when they got home, it being the first day in months that it wasn't too hot to be out of doors and not in a pool.

They had a picnic and then started up an exciting game of freeze-tag, which quickly morphed in unpredictable ways. First of all Connor, even though he frequently says, tauntingly, "Come and get me!" and runs away, looking back over his shoulder to make sure you are following, doesn't liked to be chased. His laughs change almost imperceptibly into a high-pitched "Noooo!" He also has the habit when he is scared of putting one or both hands up to his mouth. It looks almost comically theatrical but is very geniunley felt. So, it was decided, in consultation with Jamie, that Connor had a special power that he couldn't be frozen. This reassured Connor considerably, but he then decided his special power meant that he could hold his hands out and zap Sarah with some kind of light energy, like the Emperor did to Luke Skywalker at the end of Return of the Jedi. So, while not chasing Connor, but not excluding him from the game, Sarah had to show that this power was affecting her. Further complicating things was the fact that Jamie of course now wanted to have a special power, which turned out to be to make Sarah move very slowly. So she had to chase two boys while being slowed by one and knocked down/electrocuted by other. Being a mom is a real balancing act sometimes!