"Can I talk to you a lot?"

There have been a few times lately when Andrew is on his ipad and asks "how do you spell ___?  Don't spell it fast!"  And he is typing the letters as I say them.  It turns out, his ipad gives him previews of new games to get parents to download, and he had opened up a memo pad and was typing out the names of each game he wanted us to consider downloading for him. He made the list all on his own!

Monday February 3rd, he had his first lesson with the new violin teacher (remember, more serious and not as fun and games)  He told her "I already know how to play the violin."  She changed his bow hold and also how he was holding the violin. He has to practice the bow hold, and also holding his violin with his chin with no hand use. She said he appears to be a fast learner though. She would lead him when using the bow, and then held her finger at his elbow and said, "okay, don't hit my finger with your elbow" and he immediately had proper form when playing.  He also kept trying to sit down in the chair as much as possible (so that will be gone next week) and he kept watching in the mirrors that are on two walls (so they will be facing the opposite direction next time).  I had to remind him that he needs to listen and obey the new teacher and do things her way.  She told him that even though he knows how to do some things - she's going to get him to do it better.  It will be interesting whatever happens. 

On the way home from the grocery store,  "Mom, I love you all the way from Earth, to the Moon, to Jupiter, to Mars, to Saturn, and back to Earth."

We were driving home from school and Andrew asked if we could stop and skate through the woods. Then he picked out a field he wanted to play in. I told him that neither were options and explained trespassing and property ownership.  I told him that Nana had woods we could walk through sometime.  He asked when we could go.  Then he contrived a story telling me that he and daddy need to buy a red and green racecar for him and daddy. I had to have a pink one. He told me just how fast it could go and that it would be a little faster than the pink car, because pink cars can't go as fast as red and green ones. He'd race it to Nana's house.  Then he wants to pull over on the side of the road and skate through the woods looking for animals that are supposed to live in woods. Like coyotes and yaks. lol Though Yaks are more commonly found in Massachusetts he said.

Also while on the way home we passed a cement truck. "Mom, can daddy and I buy a cement truck?"  I told him we don't need one and we talked about what they are for. He said he wanted to build a skate park. I told him we had no place for one. He said, "I have a big back yard! There is space there!"  I told him I liked having a large backyard with grass where we can run, play, host splash parties, and have a garden. I didn't want a concrete skate park in the back yard.  I suggested maybe we go to a skate park some day.  He agreed and reminded me we'd have to wear "skate helmets" too. 

At bedtime, the boys showed me a new trick of theirs. Andrew stands on a small comforter on his bed and Ted quickly snatches the blanket out from under Andrew who lands on his back laughing hysterically and then wants to do it again and again.   

Wednesday morning I was taking Andrew to school again. Usually when I'm in the car with him, it's often evening hours and we're all exhausted. So when he starts asking a million questions, or repeating strange noises and such, it gets wearisome quickly.  Right away this morning he asked, "Mom, can I talk to you a lot? Like all the way to school?"  I cheerily said, "Absolutely!"  And when I answered one question he'd tell me, "okay, I'm gonna keep talking now"  and tell me stories or ask more questions.  I wish I could remember all the conversation. All in all, a pleasant ride to school.

He was assigned his third bible reading for Wednesday night. He worked SO hard on it - it had some big names. But he read it beautifully when he practiced, though he was a little stressed about trying to make sure he read it all in 4 minutes (which he did, barely, but it was practically perfect!)  He didn't have time to lose his place or get tongue tied and he knew that himself.  And he'd been begging to skip going out for ice cream just to have friends come home with him to play after the meeting. he is so desperate for people to play with.  I think he was a little relieved when the meeting got cancelled due to ice. We let him have ice cream and a movie in honor of his working so hard on that reading. 

Thursday night I was lying next to him talking for a couple of minutes. I started massaging his scalp hoping it'd help him relax to fall asleep quickly.  "I love you mom. Thank you for doing the Bars on me."  I said, "I'm not doing the Bars on you, I'm massaging your head."  He replied, "Oh! That's nice. I love you mom, thank you for massaging my head." 

Passing a field, "Are those cows, or yaks (pronounced Yee-acks and no we did not teach him that) ?"   Cows.  "What if they were ye-aks! What if we could smell a ye-ak! That would be yee-uuuck!"   



Friday he and daddy dropped me off at an appointment and then went further down the road to play at Chik Fil A.  Daddy said Andrew scarfed down his food and had a wonderful time playing and making new friends. Almost more interested in having a friend to talk to and play with than playing in general. They came back to pick me up and Andrew asked questions all the way home. Then we played a little bit and read a story together. He likes the Winnie the Pooh books that I bought when my nephew Colt was three.... I think that was almost thirteen years ago! 

Andrew asked me why I get the Bars done. I told him it helps me cope with stress and allows me to stay calm and peaceful and be happy.  He asked why I needed it and I told him that sometimes being an adult is stressful.  "Does that mean you want to be little?"  I told him no and said I just want to be a kind, loving, peaceful, mild, happy, patient adult.  "Oh. Okay." 

He's had a rash on his hands for over a week that keeps getting irritated. Ted said several of the kids at school have them. We think it's an allergy to the soap and they've been doing extra hand washing lately to make sure no one spreads colds and germs. Arg. 

I just love this kid so much. He's so wonderful.