Weird Weather and Words

The other day, Mal and I went to the park, both wearing shorts and t-shirts. The day before had been delightfully chilly, and I was so disappointed that this day was muggy and in the mid- to high-70s already at like 8:00 AM. Apparently, this is an austin thing, which I forget each year, but noticed in my "Facebook Memories" today I was complaining about two years ago. It gets chilly, happiness mounts as I get to enjoy leggings and sweaters, and then... well, someone asked if it were "Indian summer" (is that offensive? I don't know the origin) but I think a more accurate assessment would be that the cooler days are a fake-fall, which we don't actually have here.

Also, another little boy and his mom came to the park while we were there, and he was wearing long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a Captain America hoodie which was zipped all the way up. I'd have been crying in protest if it were me. People dress weirdly here. The day before? Nice and chill; it would have been appropriate. This day? Way to give your kid heat stroke.

Another thing is that the temperature doesn't follow a "cooler when it's dark, hotter during the daytime" pattern this time of year. The high might be at 9:30 AM, then it dives and is 20 degrees cooler at 3:00 PM.

Alternately, I might get up and put on sweats and a long-sleeved shirt, only to have to change into shorts and a tank top in the afternoon, then back into long pants at night.

This morning when Mal and I went on a short jaunt around the complex, it was 58 degrees, and about half of the air conditioners were on. I don't understand why people don't open their windows. I've looked literally every time we've ever been outside and have only ever seen one set of windows (like a double window in one apartment) cracked open at all. It was VERY cool inside our apartment when we woke up this morning; 67, I believe. It got cooler when I opened the windows more. I don't think it ever got above 70 in here. If I had to work, I'd still leave the windows partially opened. I guess I'm just cheap that way.

To change the subject completely: All of those words I reported Mal using a month and a half ago? He's stopped. He rarely (but will a bit) says "Dada." The only other thing he says, and he says it ALL OF THE TIME FOR EVERYTHING, is "ba-hum." It means "help," "I want that," "no, seriously, help," and, of course, "nursies." The thing is, he understands A LOT. Like everything, almost.

We have this joke now when he climbs into my lap and wants to nurse. He'll say, "Ba-hum" and I'll say, "Nursies." He'll usually smack my chest and say, "Ba-hum!" So I'll correct him: "Nursies." Then he laughs or screams like it's the biggest joke, and it makes me laugh.

There have been a couple of times I've asked him to pick up and item and bring it to me, and he's done it. He knows exactly what "vitamin" means, and "bath." When we ask him if he wants to go outside, take a walk, ride his bike, etc. he knows what's going on. He sticks his tongue out on the page in a book where a kid is doing that. He waits for me to give him a kiss on the page in another book where that happens. He gets things.

The other day, I asked him if I could clip his nails. He walked over to get his grooming kit, opened it up, and... took off with the clippers so I couldn't. He gets things!

But it's like he's given up on trying to talk. He vocalizes almost constantly. But he isn't trying to make words, so... that's interesting.