I'm totally laughing AT you!

A good mother doesn't laugh at her children, right? So--I think that means that I am a bad mother. I laughed at both of my oldest two kids today. Not in their faces, but I did laugh at them. I probably laughed at the youngest as well, but I laugh at him all the time.

This is spring break. R is not thrilled about it. When his teacher told him on Friday that they would not come back to school for a week, he was in tears. He loves school.

This is only Tuesday, and I have to say, I have kept them pretty busy! We went to the beach on Saturday, Then we went to a birthday party, had a playdate at our house, AND went to the school to play baseball with friends on Sunday, and yesterday we met some friends for dinner and their boys spent the night with us. Then, today my boys went bowling with some other friends and they played at their house all afternoon. I even got to go hang out with them after my doctor's appointment and have 3 hours of adult interaction!! Woo hoo!! Then we went to a local pizza place for "family night."

Anyway--R is not thrilled about all the time off. In fact, he has composed a song about it. He wrote it down, and this is what I found on the kitchen cabinet today.
Translation (for those who don't read kindergartenese):

The Lonlye Childe

I am a lonlye boy.

There is no one to play with

They are sik and gon and visting famly.

So I am a lonley Boy.

By: R

It truly cracks me up. N. tells me that R wrote this on Sunday. He had been out of school for LESS than a whole weekend. I hope that kindergarten teacher realizes how much she's loved! This kid is SO serious about the world. The only problem is that he takes it too seriously sometimes. I thought it was supposed to be the oldest child who was bossy, but this kid bosses EVERYONE--brothers, friends, grown ups--everyone.

J. came in crying today and said "Every time I play with R he won't let me be the boss or the leader!!" They like to play "shows" like scooter shows, or bicycle shows, etc. J always has to follow and copy R. He used to be ok with it, but now he's had enough. He also doesn't like when they play pretend like cops or aliens or cowboys, because R will say his "line" and then tell J what he has to say. He wants to write the whole script and J has HAD ENOUGH already!

On to laughing at the oldest child...N, as the typical older brother, likes to get the best of the little ones. He tries to convince them to "trade" him for stuff he wants that they have, and he always has to rub it in a little if he has something better than they have.

At dinner tonight, he was trying to convince R to trade bouncy balls with him. He tried several different tactics, but nothing worked. Finally, he started talking about how HIS ball bounces WAY higher than R's AND his ball is CHARGERS COLORS. R looked at him with disdain and said in that lilting 'you are such an idiot' voice: "Uh, no it's not. I don't think the Chargers are purple." N was crushed in defeat.

R is always very considerate when he corrects N on colors (N is color blind and R doesn't want to make him feel bad). He is usually just very matter of fact and tells him the right thing, but today, with zinging sarcasm (I have no clue where he learned it) he let N know that he was no easily fooled 5 year old anymore! He wasn't trading his bouncy ball that he KNEW was the best one--and certainly not for some poor excuse for a Chargers replica that wasn't even the right color!

They truly crack me up!!

On a different topic, here are some shots from the kindergarten day at the farm (J got to go as well--remember, he is an "honorary kindergartener"!!) and the preschool easter egg hunt. Both were exhausting and R might be unhappy about spring break, but I was SO READY for some non programmed time!