Mikes

I can usually gauge the level of amity between the two boys by the way Spencer speaks to Michael. Tone and what is being said are instructive, but don't always paint the full picture. However, if I hear Spencer refer to his brother as "Mikes" I know beyond a doubt that Spencer is feeling happy and cooperative with Michael and that, if only for a short while, their games will not be marred by disharmony or discord. I am pleased to report that I heard many "Mikes" over the weekend. Here is a sampling of their activities over the last few days, while peace and goodwill reigned.

While I was out running errands, my boys created a store. I call it a store because that is what they called it. To the untrained eye it looked like a plastic garbage bag stuffed with toys they no longer wanted. They dumped the bag out and immediately began trying to make sales. First let me say that my timing was good as they happened to be having a sale just then. Patrick did not fare as well as I. He paid full price for everything he purchased (he is not a savvy shopper). Second, I was too troubled by the idea of buying anything from them that I still considered my own property to agree to buy anything that fit that category (am I wrong?). In the end I purchased two stuffed animals, a small bottle of bubbles, a small change purse, a necklace, a toy hippo, a toy elephant and a toy bus. The total cost to me - 46 cents.

Upon waking Saturday morning, the boys created "mouse houses." I was still sleeping at that time and dreaming (coincidentally?) of mice. The mouse houses are shoe boxes that the boys decorated with "NO CATS" signs, mirrors, beds, couches, lamps, chairs, etc. The boys worked out all of the furniture and decorations themselves. Each boy felt (deservedly) a lot of pride in his accomplishment. They explained to me in detail each of the bits of furniture and decoration. I learned that the couch actually converts into a bed. As the couch/bed is a cotton ball, I did not ask for a demonstration (though maybe I should have).

Michael is helping Spencer learn to read. He is very patient with Spencer and sounds the letters out and asks Spencer questions as they go along, like "what sound does a 'D' make?" Spencer is intent and serious. It is clear he is trying very hard. I can't decide which boy is cuter. A few months ago I made flash cards for Spencer with words such as "MOM," "DOG," "BUG," etc. On the first round with the flash cards, Spencer was great. He sounded out the words and I grew increasingly confident that he'd be reading within the week. Then we got to "HAT." We sounded it out, "H" makes "ha", "A" makes "ah" and "T" makes "teh", put it together and......"Horse" Spencer announced proudly.

Please, I Beg You

Both boys really enjoy music. For his fourth birthday Michael requested three cd's - Etta James, Bob Marley and The Big Chill soundtrack. Spencer has an uncanny knack for remembering lyrics and the names of different singers (or should I say artists?). Last night Spencer asked Patrick if he could have chocolate milk with dinner. Patrick said no. Spencer responded "Please, I beg you. I'm a wounded man." Those are song lyrics. He is a funny boy. Aunt Amy has high hopes that he will be a rock star.

The Office

Over the weekend Michael told me he had made himself an office in his room. Immediately I was intrigued. It is always impressive to me when either of the boys thinks up a project on his own and executes. However, I was curious about what making an office entailed, specifically. I followed him up to his room. At this point, Spencer was also curious, and came along as well. Michael proudly pointed me to his closet. I looked in. Hmm. I tried to assess what had changed. What was it in the current arrangement of the clothes, games and shelves that might suggest "office" to Michael, if not to me. I was stymied. Nevertheless, I said it looked great. Spencer (of course) now needed an office of his own as well. Michael, ever helpful, offered to (you guessed it) help. Spencer's office is also housed in his closet. There is even less in Spencer's office that resembles the images usually brought to mind by the word. Spencer's office is mostly (actually, entirely) an empty space on the floor of his closet. Apparently, they only had to move a couple items and, behold, office. Do I feel guilty that I haven't managed to find desks yet for these two? A little bit. This morning I asked Spencer to work on his homework. After a minute or two, I went into his room to see how it was going. But he wasn't in his room. I called to him. He answered that he was in his office. His office. Of course. I looked into the closet. He was sitting there, on his closet floor, in the near dark, happily working on his paper. Maybe they don't need desks yet.

Soccer Season

Michael had his very first soccer game over the weekend. In previous years his "team" has merely scrimmaged, sometimes without a goalie - that goal is smaller than it looks. But now that he is in the 7-8 year old league (the Dynamites), they play other teams. However, they do not keep score yet. I imagine that will come in the 9-10 year old league (but I am not positive). The day was chilly and raining. Michael's spirits were high though. He told me "The rain is good. We will use it to our advantage." I like it. He's being tactical. I'm wondering if he thinks the rain will dampen the spirits of the opposing team. No. That's not it. It's sliding. When the grass is wet, they will be able to slide further than usual and that will help them defeat their opponent. Clever. The kids played well. Michael was the goalie during the second half. He did great, but Spencer was embarrassed by Patrick's shouting. It was almost like it caught him by surprise. Really Spencer? Surprised? Haven't you noticed daddy yelling at the tv during football games and baseball games and the Olympics? Although nobody kept score, Michael's team, using the rain to their advantage, won 4-3.

The Problem With Pronouns

A few months ago Spencer was questioning me about how babies get out of the mommy's stomach. He was no longer satisfied with my stock answer - at the hospital, so I (gingerly) gave him more detail about how babies are born. The other night (apparently after digesting this information for a period of 3 months or so) he asked me how babies could fit and actually get out of there. I told him that it stretches. He looked surprised, then asked, "so how long and skinny do the babies get?"

First Day of School

Monday was Spencer's first day of school - kindergarten - a milestone. However, although it is/was a milestone in my mind, I didn't think it was a great idea to make it so weighty from Spencer's perspective. Plus, I wouldn't say that Spencer was looking forward to kindergarten particularly. I base this (in part) on his comment that he'd prefer to wait and start school next month. However, he was not dreading it either (at least not overtly). But after that first morning, I can say that I think my little Spencer has been lying in the weeds (so to speak). I worried that he was too shy, and that he would be nervous without Michael nearby. But I needn't have worried. He handled the first day with as much self-possession as Michael had two years ago. Spencer was completely ready for school, and although he wouldn't have admitted it, I believe he was looking forward to it. As the next few days bore out, he loves it. It seems as if he has grown up over night.
















Spencer's friend Henry is in his classroom. This is a picture of them before the day officially got started. They were a little sleepy that morning I guess.

I promised Spencer dessert to celebrate his first day of school. During dinner he asked if it could be bananas foster. Hmmm. Sounds good, but no. He said we'd have to have it for sure on my birthday. So thoughtful and sweet. I hope he starts planning soon.





















Michael also had a first day of school - second grade. It is old hat for him now. Here is a picture of him as he waits for the bus. Michael's school year has started out well. He is happy with his teacher and has friends in his classroom. For spelling this year Michael's class is being given a pre-test. If the child gets 9 or 10 correct on the pre-test, s/he will be given an alternate spelling test. Here are the pre-test words:
Because
Have
Said
They
Was
Are
How
What
After
Hear

Here is the alternate list of spelling words:
Metamorphosis
Camouflage
Hibernate
Mucous
Migrate
Nectar
Amphibian
Cocoon
Species
Predator
Is it just me, or does it seem like there may have been some middle ground between these two lists?

Seems Like Yesterday To Me

While I was busily cleaning up after dinner tonight, Michael was chattering on about school. At one point he said, and this is a direct quote "When I look at the first graders, it is hard to imagine I was ever that small." For the record, Michael has grown 1.75 inches and weighs 5 pounds more than this time last year.

Good Point Spencer

We went to Half-Price Books tonight to get Michael a pocket dictionary to replace the GIGANTIC one he has been carting around with him everywhere in his backpack. When we located the pocket dictionaries, Spencer decided he wanted one too. I told Spencer I thought that was a really good idea. He said, "There is one problem though, I can't read."

Deep Thoughts

At the pool today Spencer, the voice of reason and practicality, told Aunt Amy that the adage "Find a penny pick it up and all the day you'll have good luck, and if you give it to a friend, then your luck will never end" is not in fact true. Amy asked Spencer how he could be so sure. He explained that he had in fact one day found a penny, picked it up and gave it to a friend. However, he didn't have good luck that day. He only had "fine luck." Amy was going to ask Spencer to elaborate on what "fine luck" is (personally I am still curious), but Michael chimed in suggesting "Maybe good luck is the absence of bad luck."

Pretty in Pink

This morning I overheard Spencer offering Michael money if Michael would wear a pink shirt. I think I was so confused by the fact that the conversation had nothing to do with Star Wars that I may not have chosen the best possible way to respond. And how was that? Well first I established the specifics of Spencer's proposal. I ascertained that Spencer was offering all of the money in his piggy bank PLUS all of the money in his bank account if Michael would wear a pink shirt in public for an amount of time not less than one minute. Wow. I then established that Spencer was willing to make such an outlandish proposal because he thinks it would be the height of embarrassment and lunacy for a boy to wear something that "girly" in front of other people. I tried to reason with Spencer (foolish). I told him that lots of men wear pink shirts. He didn't seem to care. I tried to make it more concrete by saying that lots of men at my workplace wear pink shirts. It's possible that my five-year old son doesn't identify with nameless guys at my work though, as he remained unswayed. Michael interjected at this point. And he was reasonable and sensible. He told Spencer that he'd do it, but he only wanted four dollars and he'd wear the shirt all day. I was impressed that he seemed to recognize that the proposal was inequitable, he didn't want to take advantage of his brother and he was okay wearing pink. Good for you Michael. I went upstairs and brought down one of my pink shirts. It is a running shirt. It is sleeveless. Michael put it on and immediately declared that he'd need more money because the shirt looked too "girly."

Just How Lonely Are Chickens Anyway?

We are having lovely weather for this long Labor Day weekend. However, as Michael announced yesterday evening while on a walk, "Summer is over. I just saw a bunch of leaves on the ground and I just saw one leaf actually falling. That is what triggered my memory of Fall." Triggered his memory of Fall? I don't know about that. I do know that I had seen the same tree and had told myself (and believed a little bit) that the tree was sick or dying. Anyway, it is nice weather currently and the boys and I decided yesterday that it would be nice to go to my mom's and spend the afternoon swimming, and maybe their cousins could come too. I texted Uncle Nick to find out if they were available and up for a swim. But Spencer - my young, sweet, cynical Spencer says to me in regard to his Uncle Nick, "I bet he won't respond. He never responds." However, Nick did respond (take that Spencer). Unfortunately though, Nick was in the middle of school supply shopping, which seems like an activity that should take 30 minutes, but has become a touch more complicated. I travelled to four different stores to get everything on the boys' lists and I had to spend $119.50. And that was just to get the standard supplies. I didn't get anything from either boy's "wish list," which is, near as I can tell, a list of additional supplies that you are not required to purchase, but which the teachers would like, and if you are really committed to your kids and their education, you will do your part and get at least one (just one, for goodness sake), but probably more than one, maybe everything on the wish list because the more you buy, the better equipped the classroom and the better the educational opportunities for the students (obviously). Ok, I admit that I am feeling a little guilty and a touch inadequate because I didn't buy anything on the "wish list." At any rate, Nick and his boys couldn't come swimming yesterday. And, after I exhausted the list of other possible attendees and told the boys that it looked like it would be just us, Spencer remarked forlornly "So we will be lonely chickens."