Preview of Coming Attractions

Oh. May until October is let's see...a bunch of months. Gretchen is the sweetest little girl any father could ever hope to have. Although she's not the fastest at de-shoeing. or unbagging her lunch kit in the evenings, and bath time is often a screamfest, she's a doll. Where Franklin is often aloof, Gretchen is affectionate, hugging me at the end of the day. She is always the first to share her cookies with me when she has some, and she has a gift for therapeutic massage.

When I lie down on the bed after coming home--just for a minute to let my legs remember what it means to be inactive--I tell her that my shoulder hurts, and she's all over it like FoxNews "reporters" on a Bidenism. One of the promises of having a little girl around the house was the neck rubs.

Yesterday, I told her that my stomach hurt, and unfortunately she took it as a cue to jam both fists into my abdomen with the same gusto with which she attacks my shoulders. I'm okay now.

But the big news this week is that Halloween is coming up. I'd hoped to organize the foreigners in the building into going around trick or treating in the neighborhood, but it turns out they won't be in town. We'll make do with what we've got, though. Maggie took the kids to pick out their costumes over the weekend, and Gretchen was very enthusiastic.

The basis of her costume is a bumble bee suit that was given to Franklin some time ago by Teacher Swim or Teacher Sandy, I can't remember. Gretchen decided that she needed wings, and the wings appeared. Then, on the outing to Toys R Us--for the finest in Halloween wear in all of Taichung--she found a battle axe and a pink witch's hat to complete the ensemble. I can't wait to see it all in action next Wednesday at the school Halloween party! Pictures to come.