Conversation between Aaron and Thomas while on the way to preschool:

Thomas: “I hate sitting on the front of the carpet! Whenever I sit in front, girls always sit next to me.”

Aaron: “What’s wrong with girls? I bet they are nice and want to be friends with you.”

Thomas: “What’s WRONG with them is that someday they might MARRY somebody...

[panicked]...AND WHAT IF THAT SOMEBODY IS ME????”

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In an effort to wean Thomas off of too much afternoon screen time, we’ve set up a little schedule of activities to do together. Our first activity is handwriting.

The first day we did this, we worked on holding a pencil the right way and then he wrote his name SEVERAL times. When we were done and about to move on to the next thing, he asked, exasperated, “But Mom, WHEN are we going to practice HANDwriting.”

right.

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Thomas has two new favorite books he wants me to read him OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I feel compelled to share simply because they don’t fall into the Bernstein Bear category. He’s always so wary of new books but these are two that he loves and I don’t mind reading eleventy million times.

1. “No Friends”  by James Stevenson

2. 2.“Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie”
   

(as a side note: If you have begninning readers in your house, I implore you - this instant - to buy the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. Those are the best books I’ve ever seen for beginning readers. and their older brothers. and especially their parents. not kidding. fantastic. I wish I had thought of them. “There’s a Bird on Your Head” is my all-time favorite)

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-I just finished the Hunger Games series. It was dark and violent and a little creepy. I liked it. But it got to the point where I was just walking around the house, crazed, holding the kindle in one hand and trying to do everything else with the other hand. Aaron would walk by and say, “Is it good?”

and I would yell out desperately, “I DON’T KNOW YET!! I JUST NEED TO FINISH IT!”

-T.V. Recommendation (esp. for those of you with netflix): “White Collar”

it’s fun, clean, cute, and a little smart. Not at all dark and creepy.

another recommendation: movie. released last year I think. Winner at Sundance. “Buck” PG. it’s really really good.

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Just because it needs to be recorded:

Thomas rarely walks. He bounces, fights, dances, and skips through the house. Luke and Sam will walk into a room and a minute later we hear Thomas bounding from around the corner, hair flopping and arms flailing... why walk when you can jump skip everywhere?

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a view from the stairs of Aaron wrestling with the boys: