off he goes

here we go again

i know we did it last year...

...but we liked it a lot, so we're doing it again. Going to see that mouse in Florida, I mean. So no posting for a week or so because I will be busy hobnobbing with princesses. Have a great week.

on the occasion...

...of his sixth birthday.

Mom: Tommy, How does it feel to be six?
Tommy: Good. Well. umm, probably just great.
Obviously.

M: What things would you like to accomplish this year?
T: Well, I would I would say do my marble set a whole bunch and build some cars.
Guess what he got for his birthday...besides the new bike which he doesn't mention.

M: What are a few of you favorite things?
T: Like Thunder Mountain Mailroad and Space Mountain are my favorite roller coasters. That's all.
Possibly he is hinting at his preference for our next vacation.

M: Who are a few of your favorite people?
T: Nathan and the other Nathan and Owen, Jacob from school, and umm, probably and my family.
And the jillion other friends who we just haven't happened to see or discuss today or yesterday.

M: What would you like to be when you grow up?
T: Scientist, I keep telling you! Don't you get it?
Hmmm, I wonder what it feels like when people don't listen to what you say?

M: What are some of your favorite things to do?
T: Ride roller coasters and I like to run around and play on my friend Ryan's trampoline. I do like to run around with my brother.
Guess whose house we played at today? And boy, oh boy does he like to run around with his brother.

M: How do you feel about starting kindergarten this year?
T: Well. good.
As if this were the lamest question ever asked.

M: Anything else you'd like to say?
T: I would say we should go to the next question.
Luckily for everyone involved, there are no more questions.

Happy birthday, Sunshine! We adore you.

In case you're feeling nostalgic, here's last year's interview.

because that's what a scientist does

Today was Career Day at school.

Tommy has obviously chosen well.

it's already written on the calendar and thus, set in stone

Today I took the boys to the dentist. Both of them. Tommy is, and always has been, a super star dental patient. He grins through the entire process. He is mistakenly convinced that he, at some point, "before 1972" he had a cavity. Neither I nor the dentist can convince him otherwise. Johnny was a first-timer. His visits (we tried two different times today) consisted of him frantically and emphatically responding to every request and query directed at him with a definite, "No way!" It's surprising how many people are completely charmed by this outright defiance when it comes from my little blue-eyed boy. They got a quick glance in his mouth and that was all. They will try again in six months. This is where it got weird. When I made the appointments we were booking out in October and I had to consider the fact that Tommy will be in real school all day long and schedule accordingly. I realize that it's possibly a little early to be freaking out about the changes I see coming but you all know how I feel about thinking ahead.

'cause there's just too much to tell

Make a Smilebox slideshow

unexpected quiet-thankful

After a busy morning running around we returned home at about 1:30 this afternoon. Tommy was rubbing his eyes and showing definite signs of fatigue but he is a big boy and seldom naps. My suggestion to do so was vehemently rejected. I sent him in to practice his piano. Three notes in he got frustrated and threw a little fit. I sent him to his room for five minutes so that he could calm down and get it together. When the timer went off he didn't come down. I called up to him. Nothing. I finally ventured up to find him asleep in his bed. I covered him and closed his door. After the speech teacher left Johnny also went down for a nap. No one is awake but me. It's quiet and lovely. For once we have no lessons, no playdates, nowhere we have to be. The house is in shambles because it seems like all we do lately is run too where ever we are already supposed to be. Boy, howdy am I going to be productive whilst they are both unconscious.  Just as soon as I finish this cup of tea.

tommy and the chocolate factory

Yesterday we hosted Tommy's eagerly awaited fifth birthday party at our local candy factory. Many children Tommy's age have seen and enjoy the movie about Charlie and his chocolate factory. Not Tommy. He finds that little girl who turns into a blueberry to be only slightly less disturbing than the kid who is sucked up the chocolate pipe. He wants nothing to do with any of it. However, when I mentioned, on the suggestion of a friend, that we host his party at a chocolate factory and I promised he would be dipping things in chocolate, that he would then be allowed to take home and when I promised that there were no chocolate pipes or people turning into blueberries he readily assented to the plan. We, as always, came screeching in exactly on time to be greeted by the children of my friends who are calm, cool collected and always, and I mean always, five minutes early. How I long to be like them, but that's another post. Anyhoo, the children were each presented with rice crispy treats cut into fun shapes and mounted on sticks, They then dipped those babies in chocolate, then they used pastry bags to squirt layer upon layer of colored chocolate on top of that. Yummy. We ate cake, we opened presents (every one of which Tommy declared to be exactly what he's "always wanted!"), We sent everyone home with their chocolate creations. Their mommies were, of course, delighted with their obvious candy making talents. I was delighted to see them leaving, grinning and with sticky fingers, 'cause if that isn't childhood, I don't know what is.

betrothed

Tommy is engaged to Paige Williams. Paige of the big, brown eyes and honey-colored hair. The wedding date has yet to be set. They spent playgroup huddled together in the playhouse talking about"married things". When we left, Paige sent us off with Tommy's very first love letter. I am not ready for this. I hadn't really thought about him loving women ( or girls in this case) other than me. I like being his dearest love. Many of my friends are sending their little ones off to kindergarten and we have been talking about how this growing up thing is a very slippery slope. Today they're five and then they are kissing girls (eww!) and next thing you know they are leaving home. No, no, no! Slow down, I'm not ready to let go.