Fast times and wild living with (the former) Baby Whozit…
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on Jun 9th, 2014
I learned something about Simon’s anxiety this weekend. It’s better—better than it used to be and better than my own (which is also better than it used to be). The whole story began Sunday night nine days ago, when my phone rang at about 9:00 p.m. It was one of Simon’s tennis coaches calling to […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on Jun 6th, 2014
Another year of school wraps up today, and it was, in a word, perfect. I don’t toss that word around lightly, but it’s hard to find a better way to characterize 2013-2014. This was the year in which Simon never missed a day from illness, didn’t have any weepy days brought on by his own […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on May 31st, 2014
Over the past year I’ve worked hard to find the right reading material for Simon. He’s a fine reader—a very good one in fact—but reading is not something Simon gravitates to for recreation, and he prefers my reading to him over his reading to himself. All of which is fine. Simon’s true loves are obviously […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on May 25th, 2014
Yesterday Simon played in two soccer games. His team won the first game 2-0 and lost the second 0-10. Can you guess which performance I was the proudest of? If you guessed the epic beat-down, you are correct. Here’s what happened: Simon’s full roster showed up for the first game, played hard, and pulled off […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on May 22nd, 2014
Pigs have taken wing. Hell has frozen over. Simon has just declared that he is ready to take a little break from soccer. All it took was nine months of continuous play, barring a few weeks off in November between indoor and outdoor sessions, two weeks at the holidays, a snow day, and two rained […]
Posted in First Grader, Friends on May 12th, 2014
One of the trickier things about having Simon play soccer with older kids these past six months is that I have been less sure of my own role. Among his cohort, I have a good grasp of what’s allowed—public hugs and kisses, shoe tying, wrapper assistance—and what’s not—picking him up (not that I could), hugs […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on May 5th, 2014
I don’t know how the kids are doing spring fever wise, but I know at least one grown-up who is over this year. That would be me. It’s not that the year hasn’t been a good one. It has! It’s just that at this point in the game, things are taking on a valedictory tone […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on Apr 29th, 2014
As I’ve mentioned a few (hundred) times, we’re a bit over-booked at present. As a result, there’s not a lot of free time in our household. Most days feel like a sprint. Pick up Simon from school, race home, race to get dinner or half dinner down his gullet, race to soccer, race to finish […]
Posted in First Grader, Jessica on Apr 22nd, 2014
Skip: You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry! Larry: Lollygaggers! Skip: Lollygaggers. (Bull Durham) Having now spent two years listening to parents encourage, admonish, and coach their kids from the sidelines, […]
Posted in First Grader, Friends, Jessica on Apr 16th, 2014
How was last night’s Passover different from all other Passovers (of recent vintage, that is)? Easy. Last night was the seder in which we mostly ditched the kids’ haggadahs; left the plastic frogs, rubber bugs, band-aid boils, and pom-pom hail in an upstairs storage bin; and kicked it old style. It was glorious. Well, Matt […]