The Good Side of Kingman

--My mom and Jillian both read one of my short stories and loved it.

--Austin was so happy to see me!  When I called to say I was on my way, he was with Jillian, and when she told him I was on my  way, I could hear him bouncing around and screaming, "SHE'S ON HER WAY SHE'S ON HER WAY SHE'S ON HER WAY!" in the background.

--Austin sang the song Cowboys and Angels while playing his toy guitar for me.  Pricelessly adorable.

--Jenny, Jillian, Austin, and I all went to my dad's Friday evening to hang out and we played football.  It pretty much turned into a boys v. girls game, because Austin kept insisting the girls couldn't have the football.

--I bought Jillian white nail polish so she could have disgustingly bright neon nails with Celtic Sun.

--I stayed the night at my sister's and Austin was so stoked that we were going to have a sleepover.  He told me that we were going to have a sleepover and a nap-over.

--He was already asleep when I got to his house but when he woke up crying, I went to comfort him and I put his PJ's on him (he'd zonked out in the car so my sister didn't bother changing him because she didn't want to wake him up).

--I had a nice chat with Shannon, my sister's best friend and roommate, who I basically think of as my 3rd little sister.

--Sleeping on my sister's couch was actually pretty wonderful, and her house was nice and quiet.  It was just nice to sleep on not an air bed for a night.  (I know, my life is super pathetic).

--Of course I woke up early to Austin talking very loudly in the kitchen . . . although when he actually came and "woke me up" he explained that he'd been tip-toeing so he wouldn't wake me up.  It was cute.

--He took the Halloween slap bracelet off my purse handle and was having fun playing with it so I said he could keep it.  In return he gave me a rubber green lantern bracelet.  I also currently have a pair of his shoes that he took off in my car.

--He asked me why the tutu I made Dolce (my sister's teacup chihuahua) was so fluffy, and I told him that was how tutus were.  So I showed him pictures of tutus online, and we looked at ballet dancing clips on YouTube.  (I am the educational aunt).

--Jenny, Shannon, Austin and I went down to BHC and had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings.  It was fun, even if Austin was a little grumpy until his food came.  While we were at lunch he found the bus map I keep in my purse and was totally fascinated by it, so I let him have that too.  When the waitress saw him looking at it she asked what it was and I told her I lived in Flagstaff; she mentioned that her mom just moved there, and Austin asked her if her mom had a bus map.

--Near the end of lunch Austin leaned over and asked me very quietly, "Are you sure you have to go back to Flagstaff?"  Broke. My. Damn. Heart.  I almost cried telling him that yes, I was sure.  BUT we decided that he'll come have a sleepover here with me sometime, which he's excited for.

--We went to Kohl's, where Austin and I looked at Christmas stuff while his mom and Shannon looked at clothes.  Austin told me that Santa was watching me and that he'd be mad at me if I bought too much Christmas stuff . . . right.

--That evening we went back to my dad's for a BBQ and more football and other Austin cuteness.  I love that kid so much.  It was hard to say goodbye to him.

It just feels so not fair sometimes that I'm not there.  But more on that later.

Another plus, even though it didn't happen in Kingman, is that Jerbs' cats have been very cuddly with me since I got back, and it's kind of sweet that they missed me.  (Especially Irene, and she's the antisocial one).