The Doggie

Sunny Bun (as Huck calls her) has been a Schremmer for two and a half months now and is officially a fetcher of tennis balls, a digger of holes, a fast runner who nearly flies, a catcher of turtles, an eater of cicadas, and a crazed swimmer just like her ancestor Molly.  She spends most of her time in our back yard and is happiest when we are out there with her.  When I try to sit in the sunshine and read, she reveals her jealous side and attacks me (& my book) with her long muppet arms so that I will get up and chase her, which of course I always do with wild abandon.

And my only complaint about working from home is this heartbreaking sight …

The Boy

Not only does Huck have a wonderful teacher and great classmates, but he also has two close friends whose family members are math people like him, just taller.  One leads the accelerated math group that Huck goes to everyday where he is happily hard at work preparing for math league meets that begin in January.  The other is a University of Arkansas math professor who led an event last weekend called “A Celebration of the Mind.”  It reminded me of the Harvest Festival, only for people like Huck.  He went from table to table, interacting with his future self in the guise of graduate students and played games like “Fibonacci Roulette.” Last week he joined other Fayetteville elementary school children at a Razorback women’s basketball game.  I got him a special Razorback shirt for the occasion, which he wore with instant pride, and when I picked him up from school that afternoon he was full of stories about the exciting win, along with an autograph and a gigantic six foot tall Razorback poster that I think would look great in the garage.  Later he expressed disappointment that I didn’t show up at the game, because if your parent is there you can go to the bathroom all you want. After all these years, parenthood has finally been reduced to a free bathroom pass.

The Mom and Dad

Troy’s been subbing as an assistant teacher at the University of Arkansas preschool.  Aside from a tube of Destin cream exploding in his jeans pocket the other week and then just finding out yesterday the university decided not to officially hire him because of his lack of credentials, it’s been a fun (and exhausting) experience for him. I’m transcribing for my old NYC company several days a week (which means I get to stay in my pajamas longer than the average person), teaching drama to kids, finishing up my work with the NWA Prison Stories Project (for now), and driving everybody to and from work and school now that it’s gotten cold.

So there you have it: the Schremmers on this windy November 16th.  22 years ago today Troy asked me to marry him in front of a whole bunch of college friends.  Today we’re off to the farmer’s market with hopes of beating the rain, running into new friends, someday finding a permanent job with benefits, and at least 22 more years together.

Lake Fayetteville