Hallowiener

This is one of our favorite books around here. It's led to many, many wiener jokes this season. Good times had by all.

Logan started reading the Harry Potter series about six weeks ago. He got thoroughly entranced with the Potter universe and has been making plans for his own sort of fan fiction. I keep finding sheets of paper with drawings and lists of spells and potions and things that he wants to include when he writes his book. Anyway, that was the inspiration for his Halloween costume.

The very first day we talked about Halloween costumes we came across a particular sort of ninja costume that Declan decided was made for him. It's not just a regular old ninja, it's a Shadow Ice Wolf Ninja and when you ask Declan what he will be for Halloween, he'll give you the full title. Don't call it a ninja. Declan was a different kind of ninja last year, so both Chris and I attempted at various times throughout the month to convince him that there were many other suitable costumes. However, Declan being the Declan we know and love, had made up his mind and dug in his heels. Shadow Ice Wolf Ninja it was. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Prior to the trick-or-treating, there was an epic battle in the kitchen.

On the way home from the candy-getting, I told Declan he could take his mask off if he wanted. I heard him breathe a sigh of relief as he pulled it up over his head and said, "Good idea. It smelled pretty bad in there."

Other things

Declan lost one of his front teeth and, as Chris noted, has reached a whole new level of cuteness.

Declan has been thinking about what I should be when I grow up since I'm back in school. He knows what my career choice is (generally speaking), but he'll pipe up with things periodically that he thinks I should consider besides houses. His most frequent suggestions are: be a teacher so I can teach his class at his school next year or the year after or whenever I'm done, or maybe open a restaurant and be a cooker for the restaurant. I think, given the variety of options he could come up with, those are pretty complimentary.

Logan recently asked if his friend Caleah can spend the night. It sort of stopped me in my tracks, because that wasn't exactly what I was expecting him to ask. I fumbled a little trying to figure out how best to explain to him that boys and girls can't spend the night together without opening a whole new world of questions and curiosities that he hasn't thought about yet. Aside from their brief questioning about what their testicles are or why I don't have a penis, there hasn't been much discussion about relationships or babies or anything like that.

So I pretty much just said that it wasn't appropriate and it was fine if she came over to play, but she would have to sleep in her own home. Logan said he didn't understand why it was inappropriate just because she's a girl and he's a boy. I looked at him and said he'd just have to trust me on the matter and believe that he'll understand it better when he grows up. He said, "THAT'S why Caleah keeps saying she's a girl and can't spend the night. I didn't get it when she said it." Apparently this is something they've been discussing for a while.

Curious about how he was envisioning this sleepover going down, I asked him where he thought she would sleep. Logan said, "Well, I was thinking that she could sleep in my bed and I could sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor since she'd probably be more comfortable in my bed than on the floor." Cute, right?

So then Declan walks in the room in the middle of this (by the way, Declan also wants to marry Caleah, but since Logan saw her first he's deferring) and realized what we were talking about. He started talking about how he also wished Caleah could spend the night. I asked him where he thought Caleah would sleep and he said, "She can sleep in my bed and I'll sleep in Logan's and Logan can sleep on the floor." Typical.

School Pictures

Declan, 1st Grade - I think he was trying to go for the cool look like last year, but they made him smile so this is what the mashup of that was.

Logan, 2nd Grade - He really likes that shirt.

8 is Great!

Sweet baby Logan is now sweet 8-year-old Logan. He's kind of goofy and really smart and very compassionate and has a quirky, sarcastic sense of humor and I'm really happy to know him. He does well in school and seems to have friends a'plenty. He and Declan are still best friends and talk about growing up and living next door to each other or maybe across the street from each other. He'll pretty much try any food and like most of what he tries.

Logan reads. A lot. He will read anything - the other day at breakfast he picked up some papers I was studying for one of my classes and started reading through them. His teacher says he chooses all types of books at school and is happy with whatever he can find. He's set a bit of a benchmark in his class for reading and a lot of kids see him reading certain books and want to read them, too. He read through the first four and a half Harry Potter books and found a love for that world that made me happy to see.

He's got a renewed interest in sign language since there's a boy in his class he's gotten to be buddies with who has cochlear implants. Logan wants his friend to be included in things, so he does his best to sign what he knows and is constantly asking what other signs are.

So anyway, I kind of like the kid.

1st Grade, 2nd Grade

School started for myself and the boys two weeks ago, Chris started last week, and we're now full in the swing of things. It's a bit chaotic at times, but I think that's normal. Logan has the same teacher he had last year - in fact, she has the same class she had last year plus 3 more students. We're happy about that. She is one of those teachers that people want to teach their children because she has control of the class, and because she genuinely cares about the students and loves them. So Logan is happy as can be back at school, though he's never really had any problems with going to school.

Declan is doing fine in his class, too. He seems to enjoy his teacher and I haven't (and won't) let on about how I did not get a good impression from her and she has not in any way done a thing to improve that. However, as long as he's happy and getting what he needs out of school I'll just sort of keep an eye on things and not fuss over it too much. Declan has told me a couple of times already that he doesn't like school and doesn't want to go. When I talk to him about it to find out why exactly that is, the conversation always goes in the direction of how he doesn't like to sit and do work and would rather do his own thing. No surprise there. That's a Declan issue that he will have to learn to deal with in life and I'm hoping time and maturity will be big factors in that adjustment for him.

This is the boys on the first day of school. Logan had been so excited to start that he popped out of bed and got himself dressed early. Declan wanted to look cool, so he chose that blue shirt and insisted the collar be up instead of down. That's how the cool kids do it, you know? Logan, in the true oppositeness of Logan and Declan, insists on wearing a collared shirt completely buttoned up and the collar down flat.

First World Problems

We were at the go-get-your-shoes-and-socks-on point of the morning. Declan emerged from their bedroom with his trademark scowl, brimming with at-ti-tude.

Declan: You know what's really getting old?

Me: What?

Declan: THESE!

"THESE!" was a pair of white socks.

Apparently the drawer-full of white socks was enough to push him over the edge. He wants something with color. I just want easy street when folding laundry.

We did it!

Before the boys left on their vacation, we all did our belt testing for Krav Maga. Because of their schedule for flying back to Rhode Island with Grandpa, they had to do their belt testing with the older kids. When the kids found out they were going to be with kids they don't know - older kids they don't know - they got nervous. It was to the point that both of them were saying they would rather not belt test. Logan was very concerned he would be embarrassed. He was worried he'd be asked to do something he didn't know how to do. Declan picked up on Logan's nerves about it and got shy as well. We had talks, reassuring the boys that they would not be asked to do anything they didn't know how. We reminded them that part of having courage is doing something you're afraid to do.

Eventually Declan put on his determined face and folded his arms fiercely across his chest saying, "YES, MA'AM! I'LL DO IT!" Logan watched Declan and nodded, then a moment later said, "That thing Declan said? It's a probably for me." I said I wasn't going to force him to do the testing if he didn't want to but I would really love to see him do it. His response: "Probably is more yes than no."

When the time came, Declan was fine to go but Logan was still fighting with nerves. He got in line when it was time for class to start and found that the older kids do things pretty much the same as their normal class. And that was that. The testing went along fine and at the end of it, the boys got to take off their white belts and received their next-step belts of white with a yellow stripe (the belt system is more graduated for the younger kids).

Logan receiving his belt:

Declan receiving his belt:

A few words from Mr. Cohen:

Feelin' fine: