Making Christmas

Okay... in what possibly might be Tactical Video Error Number Three, we just let A see the first half of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. A is now vowing to create hand-made Christmas presents with fangs.

I am secretly pleased that NBC is getting such a good reception, although A) it's probably for the wrong reasons (monsters! making scary gifts!) and B) I expect we might be hearing about it at the next parent-teacher conference.

Great Moments In Sunday

Scene: Aunt J's house. M & A are home resting and fighting off illness while J is visiting out of town. Grandpa H has just finished his rendition of non-traditional version "Jingle Bells"

J (anticipating hearing (ahem) "Jingle Bells" in excess of a million times): "*Please* don't sing that in front of A."

Grandpa H (grinning evilly): "How much is it worth to ya?"


Later, back at home.... M & A are negotiating an evening of games.

M: "...I'm not going to play violent card games. (Walks away) If you want to play Slap-Jack, you can play it by yourself."

A (lays out a line of cards): (SLAP!) "Ha! I got it! (SLAP!) I win! (SLAP) Mine!..."

Do You Remember the Ring?

Some opera-lover friends visited.

Going to School!

The other night was a rough one for A. It involved M getting up and reading a couple of stories to him, and propping him up with blankets and a Really Big Bowl (just in case). At 1:30 AM.

Naturally, A did not spring Wide Awake at 5:45 AM. So we assumed that the next day would be a stay at home day.

Much later than usual (long after M had left), A's bedroom door flung open and out came A.

J: "Good morning. How's your stomach?"

A: (After a second of thought) "Good." (Another pause) "I slept a long time."

J: "Yeah, Bud. You slept so much that M and I think you should stay home from school today."

A: "But I feel fine."

J: (Noticing that school officially starts in less than a half an hour.) "Well, it's awfully late."

A: "No. J! (stomping his foot) I'm not sick!"

J: "Okay, okay; I'll take your temperature..."

He didn't have a temperature.

J: "... I don't know; it's against my better judgement..."

A (proclaiming): "I'm going to school!" (Rushes over to couch and puts on his shoes.

J: "Bud, you're in your pj's; let's get you dressed..."

Skeleton Pirate Ghost

Well... A said he wanted to be a Pirate Skeleton Ghost this year. And M, with that ability of his to find things, found a costume on Super Sale! I'm pretty sure that this costume obligates either M or J to wear a hat that has been super-saturated in phosphorus and then set it alight.

Moments after this picture was taken, M found A around the corner, in a very still heap on a couch, pretending to be dead. A was practicing: he says he wants to wait, partially hidden in a leaf pile, then jump out at Trick-o-Treaters and scare them so badly that he gets their Halloween candy.

And to think two years ago, he thought handing out candy bars was the best thing ever, and made us ring the doorbell on November 1 eve in order to give us more.

Kindergarten Photos

Waiting before class on the first day of kindergarten.










And a few weeks later, the Very First Kindergarten homework. Only seventeen more years to go!

First Weeks of Kindergarten

A's been going to kindergarten.

Recent kindergarten adventures:

Snoring during nap time.

Saying that he saw Zachary Taylor coming back from the White House on his horse during an eye exam (there was a horse on the eye chart).

Changing the words to a song about a baby doll from sweet caring ones to mean ones (probably using the Five Words Most Amusing to Five Year Old Boys: fart, butt, wiener, poop, & vomit).

Telling various school staff members all about the presidents (with a focus on their horrible demises).

Learning the entire Star Wars (cartoon) pantheon in spite of the fact that A) we don't have a television and B) Star Wars is something we're not going to show him until he's twelve.

Removing his socks and hiding them somewhere on the school grounds (yes, they came back in a big plastic bag).

Discovering The Best Thing Ever: Hot Lunch. Who knew?