We’ve had a great time with Kevin over the past few days. We dropped him off at the airport a couple of hours ago. There were several highlights while he was here. One of those was the Knoxville Opera concert on Saturday night. Another was a trip to the zoo yesterday afternoon. We had gone to the zoo in March when Kevin was here with Taylor. Kate had loved it, and I had been looking for a good time to return. It was too hot during most of the summer. The weather cooled off when Kevin came, and I thought it would be worth a try again. It really worked. She was as fascinated with the animals as any child would have been. I will certainly think about another visit to the zoo this fall
After returning from the airport, Kate remained outside. She got a little warm in less than an hour and came inside. It wasn’t long before she came to the kitchen with her iPad and a look of boredom on her face. I said, “You’d like to go someplace.” She nodded. I got my iPad and two cups for drink. We headed for Panera.
As we entered the parking lot, I noticed that she was wearing one brown shoe and one black shoe. I didn’t say anything. Once we were seated, she looked down at her shoes and noticed they didn’t match. She said, “I have one brown and one black shoe.” I told her that would be all right. She looked bothered but didn’t say anything. I watched her for another moment, and she started to cry. I said, “I don’t want you to be bothered. It’s all right.” She pulled herself together, but it was clear to me that it was one of those moments when she realizes that she is changing. It is so sad to watch this. I feel much better when she doesn’t recognize the symptoms.
