Today was a big day in the harriet household. AJ learned to tie his shoes.

He�s been trying for a few of months (we were late to the game, having previously preferred Velcro shoes or what AJ calls �slip-ons�). But this morning there was a message on my cell phone when I got back from class. AJ tied his shoes! Both of them! All by himself!

Okay, I�ll stop now.

Other than that, the day has been fairly unremarkable. It was a good energy day, perhaps due to the fact that for the first time since I started teaching earlier this fall, it was light out when I stood on the train platform. Class felt great today. It was one of those days where as I walked around the room, I felt like I was really into what I was doing and when I looked up, it looked like they were too. Either that, or they were just humoring me.

On the way back home, I followed a man in black leggings, argyle socks, cowboy boots, a mustard yellow windbreaker, red gloves and a hat with earflaps. He was carrying a red plaid vinyl briefcase. He was very tall and liked to navigate the crowded Loop sidewalks as I do, by weaving in and out of those pedestrians carelessly talking to their friends, moving rapidly but never rudely blocking. I was so fascinated by his attire that I nearly forgot to turn into the train station. I might have followed him for blocks.

I listened to the CD freshhell sent me while I waited for the train to leave. Once underway, though, I switched over to Beethoven�s Fifth Symphony, my next lecture topic.

AJ sprinted out of school with even more excitement than usual, the three prongs of his jester-styled fleece hat flapping in the breeze. �Look, Mommy! I tied my shoes!� And then he was gone, flying over the playground with his friend M., the one who went trick-or-treating with us. The two of them were up and down the slide, not the straight one but the one that spirals, more times than I could count. Then we stomped back to the car to warm up our feet in the cold November air.

Now AJ is sleeping and my husband is sitting on the bedroom floor writing about Kentucky. He is thinking of starting a blog. It will not be about Kentucky. Beyond that, he�s not sure where he�s headed. But unlike me, he�s a professional at this writing thing. Consequently, he�s more nervous than I am about throwing things out there. His name will be attached. Whereas I can lurk behind my ever-thinning veil of mystery.

AJ is sleeping and my husband is sitting on the bedroom floor writing about Kentucky and I am still aimless. I skipped yoga tonight because AJ missed me and because I�m having dinner with fairlywell tomorrow and AJ is not invited. Perhaps I need to go stand on my head for a while, but I�m feeling more like a hot bath, which is not a good place to stand on my head. Perhaps boat pose is a better choice. Boat pose and crappy magazines and bubble bath. I think it�s a plan.

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