Maybe my memory is a bit faulty, but it seems like the fall weather has arrived a bit earlier than usual this year. There have been several times I have looked out the office window and wished I could be outside.
FLOOR SKATES AND OTHER THINGS. Nate has been wearing sandals for months. The other day Vicki put socks on him so he could wear shoes. He called them skates and thought they were the coolest things for sliding around the house. And as Vicki was getting dressed he pointed out her “skates” as well. Now he wears his skates to bed.
Nate is pretty good about trying to put his sandals on correctly. After picking up his sandals he’ll come to me, hold the sandals out over his feet and ask, “Right foots, Dad?” If I say “no” he will cross his arms to switch positions with the sandals and walk that way to the back hall where he’ll sit down and put them on. When Ben was this age he didn’t think too much about it. More often than not his sandals were on the wrong feet.
COMMON COURTESY. Another thing that crossed my mind when comparing actions is how each of the kids started saying “thank you.” Jenna got “thank you” and “you’re welcome“ a bit mixed up and would say, ”fink um.“ Ben was a bit more accurate with ”fink you.“ Nate has approached it from a different angle. He says, ”kink you.“
INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY. We got up yesterday to rain. For some reason Ben thought this would cancel school and was dumbfounded when we told him to get himself dressed.
OUR BUSY SCHOLAR. Jenna is really very serious about her studies. She has more homework this year, and it is still more pleasure than pain. We hope this attitude will follow her through the years.
Jenna fills in spare time with reading. She is now devouring the first book in the Harry Potter series and keeps everyone updated on the chapter she is currently reading. I am several books ahead of her, and we are keeping a running discussion of the story line. She is looking forward to finally seeing the movie when she finishes the book.
OVERHEARD. Ben’s teacher, Linda Jakes, goes to our church. Sunday Ben and Nate were sitting on the bench by the back door at church waiting for us to leave. Linda and her husband, Lyn, were leaving right then and Mom overheard Ben say to Nate, ”That’s what my teacher looks like.” I guess he thinks Linda has a twin that goes to our church.
A BRIEF VISIT. Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob are in for a few days. They drove up to visit their daughter, Ann Beth Yergler, and her family this weekend. The Yerglers have recently moved from New Jersey to Marietta, Georgia, and from the pictures I’ve seen they have a beautiful house. Anyway, Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob came on up here Sunday. We had our traditional trip to the Catfish House last night. We ate over at Pauline’s this evening.
FREEWHEELING. Every time I’ve tried to wean Ben from the training wheels on his bike he has put up a fuss (and I’ll admit I never pushed the issue). He just never wanted to trust his bike without them. Vicki found another bike without training wheels for Ben at a consignment sale and we put him on it Sunday. I gave him one big shove and off he went. Within five minutes he was even able to take off by himself from a standstill. Now he’s riding all over the yard like he’s been doing it all summer.
Nate has also been reluctant to use the pedals on his tricycle. It hasn’t mattered how much we’ve worked with him, he has continued to ride the thing Fred Flintstone style. Along comes Aunt Linda who tells him to put his feet on the pedals and gave him a push across Pauline’s driveway and off he went. Now, as long as he’s on the concrete he’s pumping those pedals for all he’s worth.
Joe
