Cupid at ten.

Do you remember when you just started to discover the opposite sex? Did you get giggly? Kick people? Run from the room screaming? Practice your dance moves? Try out new (lower) voices? In our house, it's all of that. And more. And I assume it's going to get worse -- a lot worse -- before it gets better.

It seems that every boy in Paul's class has discovered girls at the same time. And every girl in Paul's class is completely uninterested. Trust me, I think this is a very good thing. But it is funny to watch the boys trying to play cool and acting so goofy. I was at the school at lunchtime a few weeks ago and asked one of the girls why they sit at a separate table from the boys. The answer: "Well, look at them." And you know what? The girls were totally right. The boys were doing every goofy thing in the 10-year old boy's arsenal of goofy things.

I guess what I'm trying to say is be yourself and enjoy a Happy Valentine's Day with the people who truly love you for being you. And don't hurry to be more mature. Especially you, Paul. Stay a young boy for as long as possible.

(Also, yay for Arcade Fire!)

Thing-A-Day 2011...It's Alive!

Well, February 1st is here, and you know what that means...it's Thing-A-Day! I'll be posting links to my projects over there on the right, but you really should go to the main site and take a look at all the cool things that people are doing. It's definitely an inspiration.

Today, I was a little lazy -- just detail on the sweater I was already working on. Actually, I don't think "lazy" describes my state, so much as exhausted. I spent a few hours with Paul's fourth grade class today (Teacher Appreciation Day), and knitting a few inches is really all I have left in me. Honestly, I don't know how Miss Hall does it day in and day out.

Things I learned about 4th graders today:

1. The boys and the girls do not sit together at lunch. Duh.

2. The girls coordinate their tag day (out of uniform) outfits. It entails a lot of discussion.

3. No one wants to sing. Again, duh.

End of an era

Our family has been part of the Cheverly Weekday Nursery/Mother's Day Out family for the past seven years. Both Paul and Maggie attended nursery school and summer sessions in these programs, which have been running for 30 years (give or take). WDN/MDO is an institution in Cheverly, and we've been very happy to be part of it. Today, we're done.

I remember carrying Maggie through the halls in her carseat as we delivered Paul to preschool. I remember how terribly excited Maggie was to get her chance to stay at school (how could she run off without even kissing me goodbye?!) even as Paul would sob and cling to me when it was time to begin class. I remember the days spent with other parents painting murals in the hallways to enliven otherwise drab areas that the kids & teachers use. We had fun creating the first concert series last year, and our favorite parts of each holiday season have been the Halloween parade and the Christmas pageant. I don't know how many cookies I've baked for WDN/MDO over the past seven years, but I suspect that number is in the thousands.

Today was Maggie's last day at WDN. She's now an official graduate of preschool (with a diploma to prove it), ready for the rigors and challenges of kindergarten. And that ends an era for our family. I'll miss seeing the very capable, creative, compassionate teachers whom I have come to count as friends over the years. I'll miss the murals in the hallways. I'll miss the countless art projects. I know she's ready for new challenges, but it seems like these years have gone by so fast. Too fast, really. We don't have a very young child any longer. We have two elementary school kids. The door to very special time of our lives closed at 12:15pm today. I'm sad. I'm happy. I'm all sorts of things. I guess that, most of all, I'm delighted at the thought of what's next on the horizon.