Second Grade

This guy started second grade.  Can't believe that I am old enough to have a second grader.  He is in class again with Archie and Alex.  Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better set of friends.  Alex is Japanese-American and is into sport, about as much as Nico is (hockey is his big sport).  Archie is a huge sports fan- including Manchester City.  The three of them play after school pretty much every day.

New Years

New Years was so much fun this year.  We went over to the G's House.  The kids played hockey against the dads.  It was pretty intense.

M and D made crab cakes for dinner.  And they were amazing.  AMAZING.  Easily one of the best meals I have had in a while.  In fact, I can't remember the last meal I had that was even on this level.  

The other moms (2) and I put away four bottles of champagne.  Let's just say that I was nervous for a hot minute that I was going to barf.  A 36 year old mother drunk enough to barf!  THE SHAME!!

Big Feb

I know what you are thinking: how is it that someone who likes blogging as much as I do, can be so terribly bad at it?  My sister, who has four times as many kids as I do, manages to update her blog several times a week.  I don't know how she does it.  Really.  I'm just over here, trying to determine whether the "shower" I took at the gym yesterday indeed counts as a shower (the water was cold- so I didn't really get under it) and if I am gross for not having taken another shower.

We've had a fun February.  We managed to get to a DePaul women's basketball game.  Which was fun.  There were two late lead changes, which made the game very exciting.  I was worried that Nico wouldn't like the womens game because there is less dunking in womens basketball.  But he liked it just fine.

Speaking of basketball... I can only guess that the way that he is now is like how Dave was 40 years ago.  He gets very animated whenever the Cards are on.  He has opinions about players... like Owanakahu- who he thought should be kicked off the team (instead of Chris Jones).  But he can still recognized when a player like that makes a big play (like the other night, whoever they played against, Syracuse?)  He is just as serious about it as he is about the games he plays.

A couple of weeks ago- we went over to Jakey's house.  Jakey is one of Nico's classmates from Wonder.  Along with the little brother, the three of them played well with each other for 4-5 hours.  Even if some of that playing was wrestling fighting wrestling.

Valentine's Day coincided with the end of my Whole30 nutrition challenge at my gym (funny: growing up, I thought I would be peer pressured more into sex, drugs, and booze, and less with the "healthy eating").  I was really jonesing for a bacon cheeseburger and Dave humored me, so we had bacon cheeseburgers for dinner.  Nico had one and declared it to be his new favorite food.  Cue us making it for him 2 days later, and him not eating it.  Per usual.  

February 17th was Paczi day.  I dont like to make fun of other people's religions, but this sounds kind of made up.  But I'm not gonna throw a big fuss about it, because donuts!!  Right? 

Starting to get Sad

It struck me today, that we are leaving Tallahassee- and it's not all rainbows and butterflies.

I was talking to Nico tonight on the phone and we were talking about how we are going to be moving in a few days.  The conversation turned to Graham, and Nico insisted that Graham is coming with us.  I guess when they have talked about it school that has been the conversation: that Nico and his family are moving to Chicago and Graham is going to come with us.  And I just got really sad for Nico.  I don't question the decision we made.  In the long run, this is going to end up being amazing for him.  He doesn't realize it, but things are going to change for him this weekend.  His two best friends (Graham and Ovid) are still going to be in Tallahassee and he will be in Chicago.  We are going to try to see them one final time this week, but it's difficult, because none of them will realize that it's probably the last time (at least for a while) that they will see each other.  

This spring, I read "Nurture Shock" by Po Bronson.  It's basically about what the latest science says about children and how they develop.  One of the most intriguing chapters of the book was about the psycho-social development of kids and the degree to which they learn sharing, compassion, and empathy from the relationships that they have with siblings.  Turns out that the better predictor of their abilities to express compassion, empathy, and to share come from the relationships that they have with their friends.  Since Graham has a little sister, he's always had to share.  And he is awesome with her.  He is very matter of fact about her abilities and the fact that she is little.  But he doesn't ever seem to view her presence as a drag (bringing down the fun that Nico and he were going to have).  His way and what he wants aren't the only thing that matter.  So when he interacts with Nico, they have a really fun way of playing, where they go from activity to activity to activity, both playing together.  Bossing each other and pushing back against the bossing, but never abandoning each other.  Never getting pissed at each other and deciding to do something different.  Which I think is awesome.  I hope that someday, when Nico is an older brother, he is half the brother Graham is to his little sis.  

In any case, we'll try to do google hangout and facetime and all of that.  I am in the process of assembling a mail kit for Nico, so that he can send letters and post cards to Graham and Ovid.  I'm also going to have a photobook printed of his friends and the house on Atapha and the hospital and the house on Apakin.  And the parks.  I hope it will help.