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    I’m the best player at dodgeball 

    August 30th, 2015

    s2:

    I’m the best player at dodgeball!

    I scored 400 goals!!!

    In one day!


    A 7 year old

    August 29th, 2015

    [vimeo 135764220 w=640 h=427]

    There’s a 7 yr old in our home today. Yesterday I said “Enjoy your last day at school as a 6 yr old!” This growing thing: It’s all going crazy fast! … at least from my perspective. On his end I’m sure each year feels like an eternity.

    I saw him climbing up a table yesterday and just… marveled… and how he carried himself. He’s always been well coordinated, but this is just a whole new level. I just can’t believe THIS kid is so athletic. Really: anything with that involves a spherical object, he loves. Even basketball, which let’s face it, is NOT going to be this kid’s game (unless he surprises us and blackmails the height fairy in the next 10 years of his life).

    He’s a smart monkey, and has really, really good deductive skills. He likes brain puzzles, and games that involve strategy — it doesn’t take him long to start piecing moves together, and I’m really hopeful this is just the beginning for him. He kicks butt at Mancala, and is digging chess (though he mostly challenges the iPad on the latter).

    A smart monkey is sometimes a smart-mouth monkey. On the field (or off the field), this kiddo sometimes needs to keep his remarks to himself. He’s funny, though — great sense of humor, and still a bit of mischief baking in there.

    He’s still an excellent cuddle bug, and loves hearing stories about himself as a little kid.

    He’s not a morning bird, and like his daddy has to wake up the “right way” to get his day going well. Humor, quirkiness, and flattery usually get things going… in the right combination.

    In the past year he’s had three pretty big achievements: reading and riding and big-kid school. Yep, two R’s (and a something else) 🙂 In no particular order. His reading has gotten SO much better… especially over this past summer. Whereas he quit easily before, I see him trying (and doing) to read words he sees in front of him. Ever the trickster, and motivated by mischief, I tease him that reading is a BAD idea, and I should stop encouraging him to read… after all if he could read he will be able to read my secret messages. Of course this only makes him try harder. Who knew? ;p
    Also riding. Last year for his birthday, G got a pedal bike. He saw it, went “Meh!” and it hang out in our garage just about all year… until this summer, when he said he was ready. In a single go, he was pedaling away (see the video?).
    He started and kicked butt in his kinder class. I’m so proud of him! First grade is also appearing to start off great, and I’m excited.

    7 has brought on a new attitude for sure. It’s [sigh] not the best. Working on it, though.

    I seriously love this kid. Can’t imagine life without him!

    In his own words…

    What is your name?
    G*****
    Do you know your full name?
    G***** R*****
    S2: G***** V R*****, silly!

    How old are you about to be?
    7

    What is your favorite color?
    Orange and red

    Who are your best friends?
    Milo, Brayden, Kaeyur, Milad, Daedalus, Jaylen and Sam and Oli
    Well… I didn’t ask who ALL your friends were, just who were your favorite
    [I’m pretty sure he just listed the kids he played with last week]

    What’s your favorite book?
    Hmn… [long pause] The kids’ first big book of dinosaurs

    What is your favorite movie?
    Phineas & Ferb
    Well, the next question is what your favorite TV show…
    TV show? Phineas & Ferb
    So do you want to go back and change your answer on what is your favorite movie?
    Yeah, Dusty Crophopper and the fire rescue

    What is your favorite animal?
    King Cobra
    Really? Why?
    The poison, and it’s a snake
    Why do you like that it’s poisonous?
    Because I like poison
    Ok… a little disturbing

    What is your favorite food?
    Easy! Mac & Cheese! No. Indian food!

    What is your favorite shirt?
    Green. No a gray shirt
    [he’s picky about his closet, you can tell]

    What is the greatest wisdom you can share with me at age “almost 7”?
    What does that mean?
    What is the smartest thing you can tell me?
    I’m smart?
    What is the best advice you can give me?
    I don’t know!
    Can you think of anything?
    Nope!
    You know what you told me when you were 3?
    What?
    “Don’t eat poop!” That was pretty good advice!
    [giggles] No I didn’t!
    Yeah, yeah, you did!

    What is your favorite toy?
    Crane

    What do you want to do when you grow up?
    I dunno.
    Do you have a job you want to do wen you grow up?
    Nope. I’m still thinking.

    IMG_2384


    First day: first grade

    August 26th, 2015

    And he’s off!

    IMG_3333

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    Getting up and out today was easier than I expected. I was also pleasantly surprised to wake up with him snuggled in bed with us — he does that less and less these days, and it felt kind of special to wake up next to him.

    Big kid now. I feel nostalgic for the wee bit he was, but don’t feel sad about him growing up. I like the guy he is.

    He felt pretty blaze about school today. If he was nervous he surely didn’t show it. Walked right up to his friends as if he was only off for a week.

    His teacher this year is a guy. G is excited to have a “boy in charge” this year. It’s amusing to me how we go from a society of (mostly) women being in charge/responsible for overseeing day to day, learning, and you’re accountable to, to a world where most of politics then transitions to men. How does that work??? But I digress.

    I’m looking forward to hearing about his day later tonight.

    P.S. like those school-buses? I found the secret spot where they park at the end of the day. I dragged the kids on Monday for some “back to school” photos. They were so NOT in the mood, but what’s more iconic than a yellow school bus? Even though we don’t get to use them :-/


    Can I pee on the blue stuff?

    August 25th, 2015

    Our home has hard water.
    Our children also appear to be allergic to flushing the toilet.

    Together these things make for an uncomfortable looking bowl. Don’t worry — I clean, but as much as I stalk our sons following their bathroom visitation (and also heckle them when they leave “forgetting” to flush) I’m not batting 100%. So… I’ve embraced the help of toilet bowl cleaners. They’re the blue pellets you drop in the tank (I may revisit this decision when we run out).

    However the newly blue water is perplexing to S2. Now he doesn’t know what to do. Two out of our three toilets have the cleaning pucks, and he’s not sure if he’s allowed to go. Question he’s asked twice now: “Can I pee on the blue stuff?”

    Yep! Then flush, won’t ya?

    PS. Yes, I know we’re in a drought. Yep, I’ve heard the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” line. I am happy to modify our toilets to pull up less water. But I need the damn bowl flushed!!!