I Need a Genie

I entered a very cool contest over at Making It Lovely. I hope I win.

I hope I find a stuffed parrot to sew on the shoulder of Jett's pirate costume.

I hope I figure out a way to create a headpiece for Kai's Halloween costume. Kai is dressing up as Emperor Zurg, Buzz Lightyear's enemy. (Kai is very excited about dressing up as a bad guy). I'm thinking a kid-sized viking hat that I can paint purple. Or a purple knit cap that I can glue styrofoam horns to. How would you do it?

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Kai Making Friends

One unexpected consequence of sending Kai to a (public) montessori school is that most of his school friends are 4 and 5 years old. Montessori classes combine 3 years in to one class. Kai's class is 3, 4, and 5 year olds (preK and kindergarten). Elementary 1 is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. Elementary 2 is 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, and then 7th and 8th grades make up the last class. I have no idea if this grouping is more beneficial than traditional grades or not. So far the main consequence for us is that Kai (who I consider a "young" three) is making friends with a bunch of kids who are Jett's age.

He talks about four kids in particular - "his silly guy David" (the only 3 year old he mentions), Sean (4), Charlie (4), and Belicia (5). He wanted his buddy Charlie to come over after school one day, so Charlie's mom and I made it happen. But I knew that if Jett was home Charlie, who is 4, might end up playing with Jett instead of Kai, so I arranged for Jett to go to a friend's house during Kai's play date. Do I have to be this strategic with every play date from now on? Yikes!

Belicia is the classmate that Kai seems to really love. To be honest, I love her too. Those few weeks when Kai resisted walking in to school, Belicia took his hand (or tried to), encouraged him to walk in the door (although he didn't always listen), and played with him on the playground before school. She endeared herself to me the first time she took Kai's hand, weeks ago.



Today Kai's school held a fundraising walk-a-thon during the school day. I was there to help out so I got to see Kai and his friends in action. Oh it was so cute.

Kai's teacher had the kids walk (outside around the school) in pairs. I don't know if she assigned partners or if the kids picked their own, but Kai and Belicia were walking buddies. They walked for 30 minutes and held hands the entire time. At one point another girl joined them, so Kai held her hand for a while. But even during the last block, when I walked with Kai, he kept holding hands with Belicia, even while holding mine. Tonight at dinner when I asked Kai what he was thankful for he said he was thankful that he got to walk with Belicia at school. I think I have another play date to set up.

A Letter to Charlie

Dear Charlie,

If you thought we could go to Michigan this week and not turn in to Lions fans, you were wrong!



You know the boys look awesome in blue. It is their color! And the name on the back of Jett's jersey is Johnson! It's perfect! Plus considering their record over the last number of years, the Lions are really an underdog team compared to the Packers, and I know you love rooting for the underdogs. So go Lions! Here us roar!

OK, ok, settle down. Jett said that even though Uncle Rich turned him in to a Lion's fan, when the Lions play the Packers, he will root for the Packers. Yes, yes, I'm sure this is true. Sit down, sit down. I am sure this is true. Here's why:

One our drive to and from Michigan we saw a lot of green-leafed trees turning yellow. Jett and Kai call these trees Green Bay trees.

As we drove down Western Avenue today I listened to the boys identify stores as we drove by them. The only stores they identified were ones that had signs or awnings with green and yellow on them. Those were the "Green Bay" stores. The boys kept shouting, "Green Bay! Green Bay!" block after block.

Even this evening, when you insulted Jett's intelligence and he rolled his eyes at you, he was just defending his Packer expertise. Yes, he rolled his eyes at you. I have never seen him roll his eyes before and he did it tonight, for the first time, at you, HIS DAD. I always thought it was the moms who inspired eye rolls, but tonight it was YOU. This is what happened:

The boys and I were at the dinner table and out of nowhere Kai calls out, "Go Green Bay Packers!" Jett replies with confidence, "Go Aaron Rodgers!" From the kitchen, in disbelief, you exclaim, "Nice one, Jett! I didn't know you knew Aaron Rodgers or that he plays for the Packers!" Well. Jett turned toward you, lowered his chin to his chest, and hid his eyeballs in his forehead. It was hilarious.

So no, I don't think you have to worry about Jett's allegiance. Maybe the eye-rolling though....

Love your tolerant wife,
Amy

Cheering for Motown from the hometown

Go Tigers!



Even if I didn't grow up with Sparky Anderson's voice drifting into the house from my dad's radio in the garage, Jett and Kai would root for Detroit just because their cousins do. Wouldn't you?