PSERENDIPITY

I would never have willingly left my home to go to the pet store and bring home a goldfish.  Sure, we’ve been in PetSmart and Aidan has oo’ed and aah’ed over the cute little fish.  But we always left them there. 

How, then, did we end up with a goldfish, you ask?  Well, on Friday when I went to pick Aidan up from school, he ran up to me at full speed yelling “Mama!  Look at Tiny!  My fishie!”  I’m like “Whaaa?’  and I look at the teacher, who hangs her head and gives me one of those “it wasn’t my fault” looks. 

Me:  “Um, Ms. Crystal, how did Aidan get a goldfish?”
Ms. Crystal: They gave them all one.
Me: Who is they? Whose idea was it to send Aidan home with a living creature that I have to feed and house?
Ms. Crystal: Umm…you know….the director.
Me: **take a deep breath cause Aidan is standing here smiling holding this fish in this ziploc bag** Okay. I see.

And I got in the car and called Tim and asked him to please go buy Tiny a home and some food, because she would be traveling with us to Memphis.  I tried my level best to let Tiny live in Memphis at Daaaaddy’s house, but Daaaaddy wasn’t having it.  He’d much rather the fish die on my watch.   

And now we have Tiny.  Amazingly, she lived through a trip to and from Memphis and is still kicking swimming.  We thought she’d surely be flushed by weekend’s end.  Perhaps she’ll be with us for a while, she seems to be hard to kill (Wait!  Not that we were trying to kill her, but this is us.  Even Aidan woke up every morning and asked “Is Tiny still alive?”  Miraculously, she is.) .

So, say hi to Tiny everybody!

“Mommy”, he said, “What will I be when I grow up?

“Why, you can be anything you want to be!” she replied.

You’d be a fantastic football player!

Or the perfect policeman….

You’d be a fabulous fireman!

Or you’d make the most darling dentist!

You can have the starring role in a movie!

Or spread the word of God…

Just reach for all your dreams, and never consider them odd.  Remember that you can be whatever you desire.  But whatever goal you set, always reach higher.  No matter where you go, or what you think you’ll be, you’re Mommy’s little boy…always a star to me.

I thought he was sleep when I kissed him on the forehead and said “Goodnight, Scoody.  Mama loves you one hundred.”  Then, without opening his eyes he said “Aidan loves Mommy one hundred and one.”

I love being his mom.

Yesterday we stopped on the way home because Aidan had to go to the bathroom.  I mean, he must have said about 5 times that he had to go.  So, we finally make it and go into the bathroom.  I open the door, and he’s all shock/horror and he says “I can wait till we get home.”  

Why?  Because there was a drain on the floor of the bathroom.  The child is so afraid of drains in the floor that I almost had to spank him to make him go in. 

Aidan likes to play outside in the back yard.  Until the wind blows and I hear him banging on the patio doors as if his life depends on it screaming “Mommy!!  Let me in!!!  Hurry!!!”   What does that mean?  Leaves are blowing around.  He will run in leaves, jump in leaves, and play in leaves, but when they start moving on their own — he is NOT trying to be around.

Why can’t my child be afraid of regular stuff like, you know, the dark.  Come to think of it, he’s scared of that, too.  Aidan is scary.  Mind you, when he’s with Daaaddy, he’ll be terrified of the drain,  but he won’t dare speak it.  He’ll carefully negotiate his way away from the leaves, but he won’t dare run.  When he’s with me, he’ll holler and scream and run like there’s no tomorrow.

I’m just wondering if this is normal child behavior, or if this is him just cutting up.  Are any of your kids afraid of things like that?  How should I keep him from being afraid?  I’ve tried talking to him, explaining to him, reasoning with him, coaxing him — but there’s only going to be so many times I’m going to be embarrrassed at the public restroom, and if you have a toddler, you know how often we must go.

Any suggestions?

You all know how outraged I was when they told us that Aidan wouldn’t be able to come to school for the first week in August, right?  Well, I expressed my disgust in an email sent to everybody that I thought might be remotely related to the school.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to read it and know that I was HOT. 

Anyway, when the closure was first announced, we started making plans for Aidan to go elsewhere.  Either to Tim in Memphis, or to Granny & Paw Paws.  Finally it was decided that he’d go stay with Granny & Paw Paw during his school break.

Well, after that they decided that they would, in fact, offer childcare at the school, so you could bring the kiddies.  I’m not taking Aidan because he’s gone.  Tim just can’t believe that I went through all that and then I’m not even going to take Aidan to school that week.  After I jumped up and down and went off on everybody in an email, then NerdGirl and I plotted and planned our next move, then we get what we want, and I’m not even going to take him. 

Here’s my take on it.  It’s the principle of the matter.  For so long, I’ve let the director of the school just do whatever and I’d comply with a smile.  At some point, you have to show people.  I’m not of the variety to stand for nothing and fall for anything, and the okey doke does not work on me.  Just because I tolerate most things, that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate all things.  That’s all I was trying to prove, and I think my point was well taken.  So, am I wrong for not taking the chap to school?

I saw this at one of Aidan’s basketball games.  I immediately thought *GASP*….why would someone let their kid get a spiderweb (or a semblance thereof) in his head?  One day as we were all sitting at the dinner table, one of us mentioned that Aidan needed a haircut.  Then Nadia suggested that he get a mohawk.  Tim and I looked at her as if surely she was someone elses child to have even suggested such foolishness.  Her response, “What?  It’ll be cute!”

So, that conversation, and this picture got me to thinking….is it really crazy to let your child do this kind of thing?  If you think about it, what is really appropriate at what age?  Some people balk at the thought of grown men wearing cornrows…but they also balk at teenagers wearing them….and they also think its not right for young boys to wear them.  Cornrows, long braids, hair designs….when is it ever okay?

The answer in our military household is certainly going to be “Never.”  A couple weeks ago, I suggested that maybe we should let Aidan’s hair get a little longer so he could have a tiny little afro.  Tim met me quickly with a swift “Negative.”  So, for us there will always be a clean cut little boy.  But, really, is it so bad if in his preschool years, or even elementary school, you let them get the haircut of their choice, or wear the braids?  If not then, when? 

This week at Aidan’s school they’re learning all about Community Helpers.  Yesterday they had a visit from the firetruck, and Aidan was very pleased to report to me that he could now stop, drop, and roll.  He also explained to me that while the fireman is driving the firetruck, the other firemen are in the back naked.  What????  He says the fireman told him that while he’s driving the other firemen are in the back putting on thier clothes.  And, according to Aidan, if you’re putting on clothes, you must have started out naked.  Really, can you argue with that logic? Yeah, yeah, I’ll fix it later…

So, today they have a fun day and they can dress up like community helpers.  There was a lifeguard, a doctor, and a fireman — all great community helpers.  But, if you know Aidan, you know what he wanted to be….

(more…)

This morning as I drove into the parking lot at Aidan’s school, my blood got a little warmer.  Which is an improvement over Friday and Sunday when it was boiling.

At the beginning of the school year, we got a calendar that told us that the school would be closed on July 30 & 31.  That’s all good.  Two days is no problem.  So, imagine what happened when we got this in an email:

School will be closed on July 30 & 31.  K4 & K5 will return on August 10.

August 10?  Return on August 10, you say?  On July 10, you’re telling me for the first time ever that the school is closed for 7 days?  What do you expect me to do with Aidan for a week when he isn’t in school and you just told me today????

Now, as you all know, we have endured many a misstep at Aidan’s school. From “Happy Birtday” to “Cheek-toes”.  I’ve only complained once in the whole year that he’s been there when, truthfully, there have been a lot more times when I could have said something.  But this situation right here? 

I’m not angry because the school is closed.  I’m pissed because they told us that the school was closed (1) at the last minute, and (2) buried in an email about announcements.  Ya’ll already know.  It’s going down.

Anyone who knows Aidan knows of his love for the game of basketball.  As soon as we get home, he changes into his gear because he has a game.  In his room.  Then he gets out his backpack that he got from his big cousin, (also a baller) he puts his gatorade and his towel in it, and he comes and tells me that he’s ready for his game.  And I say “okay, who’s taking you?”  And he tells me so-and-so’s dad, or that the team is riding the bus (in a rather macho voice, I might add).  Then I give him a  kiss and tell him I’ll pick him up from the game, and he goes about his business. 

Whenever we’re in Memphis and Tim has to officiate, which is quite often, Aidan is geeked.  Watching the big boys play, to him, is like watching God come down from heaven.  He wants to play like the big boys, wear shorts like the big boys, and have a bag like the big boys. 

So… one day I get a call from his school about him playing in the church league for 4-5 year olds.   They were calling to ask me to sign him up because they were amazed at how good he was.  Not to brag, but he is pretty good.  I guess all that watching, mimicking, playing in his room, and learning with Daaaddy pays off.  The director and his teachers were astounded that he can shoot in the “big goal” and not miss.  (His performance in practice v. performance in games is a different story.)   Imagine his delight when the uniforms were revealed and his name and number was on the back.  He also gets to ride the bus to the games with his team, and I pack him a backpack with his uniform, his Jordans, his towel, and his gatorade for the games.   He hasn’t been the same since.  He told me the other day that he was “a beast on the court.”  *Sigh*  So, without further storytelling, I present to you the beast.

Lining up for the Pep Talk

Ready for the Jump Ball

Playing a little "D"

Can't believe that call, ref.

Victory!