Lions and Tigers, and Kindergarten, Oh My!

Yesterday, Anne and I signed Ben up for kindergarten.  He won't be starting for six months but just writing his name on an official piece of paper was nerve-wracking.  I was sweating as I listened to the principal describe expectations and heard Ben's possible future teacher explain a typical day.  This may seem like a fairly normal reaction to a major life-change but I teach in the building where all of this is going on.  The principal is my boss and the teacher who spoke has been a colleague of mine longer than Ben has been alive.  As I looked over the list of things that Ben should know before he begins his grand adventure, I was relieved to see that he knew how to do everything on the list, tying his shoes and zipping a coat by himself were the only things on the list he has not done yet.  I also thought about the maturing Ben has been going through these past few months.  Fits have been replaced with questions and understanding.  He is finally taking charge of situations, especially with his brother.  He has become a kid looking like a school-age little boy just in a few weeks.  Anne says she will be very upset when ben's first day occurs.  I will be thinking of the daycare money I will be saving!

Been a While

As the title of this post explains, it has been a while.  Life has been moving pretty fast the last few weeks and we have been trying to catch up.  The three snowdays in a row were some of the craziest days in a long time.  Neither Ben nor Jack seem to be very good at handling the life of a shut-in.  We tried playing games, I got out a tent, but nothing worked.  They both wanted to play right next to each other and apparently drive the other one nutty.  They succeeded in driving everyone nutty.  Ben and I tried to watch Moster House but he felt it was too scary.  Ironically, he then asked for a book on Monster House.  I found a used copy of the art and making of the movie and ordered it, thinking I would just add it to our piles.  Little did I know that he would fall in love with it and become extrememly interested in the process of making the movie.  He now looks over the book in his bed, often using a flashlight to "read" after lights out.

Happier and warmer times!

Jack, on the other hand, has continued his assault on the world of usual sleeping.  In one particular night, he was out of bed quietly draining his Desitin into the small crack in the top of his baby gate.  When I came up to check on him, he had pulled out a hundred wipes and was attempting to clean up the mess.  I scolded him, cleaned everything up and put him to bed.  A half-hour later, I found him in the middle of his room, his jammies half off as he attempted to change his own diaper.  That was a long night.