I’m brainstorming party ideas for Ford’s upcoming Fourth Birthday, drawing purple and black swirls and doodles on one page within my brain, in rhyme with a Harry Potter theme; on yet another page I’m filling in retro squares and dots in a patchwork quilt of ideas for Plan B: Robot Theme. As we have sailed through Year Three, I’ve been amazed with Ford’s cognitive leaps, his eagerness try new things and to help solve problems. For every emotional breakdown he’s had to witness, Ford has tried to solve my dilemma by scouring our drought-ridden backyard for flowers; for every asshole on the road who has cut me off, he has volunteered to go kill them for me; for every store that has run out of strawberries he has decided to boycott. I would have to say that, while Year Three has challenged my patience with the advent of negative quirks, it has also shown time and time again that Ford has not only wanted more and more to sympathize with us in times of distress but that he has also felt more equipped to help us feel better.
Plein air paintings, studio art and lessons