Thursday, October 8, 2009

No Pussy Boys!

Over the last few years Mikey has chosen friends that tend to be more of the followers and more sheltered. Not that there is anything wrong with that! But his friends tended to be more emotional and cry when it was time to leave the playground. Or cry when they fell down. Or just cry. Now, if his friends had other siblings they were more like Mikey. Tough and not weepy. You just have to be tough when you have siblings beating you up! So this year, in a new school, I was interested to see who Mikey chose as his friends. Well, at the Fun Run today I saw the boy that Mikey always talks about, Liam. Let's just say that this boy is not a pussy boy and I doubt he would cry if he scraped his fingernail. Oh no, this boy is tough. How do I know? One word...Mohawk! Yes, a real mohawk, sides shaved, the top part gelled up. No wonder Mikey is always giving Bella mohawks in the tub!!!

Out of Touch

I was thinking the other day that I don't really know what Mikey or Nicky do in school. Last year, I went everyday to pick them up and their teacher told us what went on during the day. We went in their room to get them and saw their projects and art work hanging on the walls. But this year, the bus takes the boys to school and back and I feel quite distant. I mean, this is the first time where I really feel like I am sending them off on their own. They have their own friends this year that I have never met (I did see some of Mikey's friends today during the Fun Run but that will be another blog!). I don't really know what Mikey does in gym, library, art or music. (You know how generic kids' answers are when they are asked what they did in school!) He has assemblies with the school that I barely know anything about. I do communicate with Nicky's teacher through notes in his folder but it just isn't the same. I don't know. It is an odd feeling to be so out of touch. Our neighbor volunteers twice a week in her kids' classes but I really can't do that since I have Bella. I guess this is just the beginning where the kids are going to have their own things to do. It is hard, though!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Cleaning Up

Yesterday afternoon, I heard Nicky calling me to come into the playroom. When I had left him in there a short time before he was watching a construction DVD. But when I went to see what he wanted I discovered that he had cleaned the playroom. Now this may not seem like much but cleaning up is not a favorite pastime for my kids. And the best part? I had not told Nicky to clean up! He told me he wanted us to be able to walk across the playroom. Yes, that is a novel idea! He was so proud of himself :) And when Mikey came home from school, Nicky took him right into the playroom and told him how he cleaned it himself. Mikey was very impressed, too. Then when Tony came home, Nicky showed off his work again. I am hoping that this continues...the rest of the house needs some cleaning, too!