Leeches Suck

This sign, spotted on our street en route to our first park of the day, could sum up our approach here at MPA! That's right, we've got work to do! A funny aside - when I was taking this picture, CJ was glancing down at a neighbor's yard or something. "Look up!" I barked at him. Mr. Literal, CJ immediately shot his chin skyward, cast his eyes upon the clouds and sun and began sneezing. : )

I'VE GOT RHYTHM: First thing this morning (well, actually, after lounging around from 7 to 9 a.m.), we made that long, one block trek to Musikgarten. While there, the kids got to have a "campout" (the lights in the studio were turned off and music was used to create the camping environment). We parents got to join in for the last 10 minutes of the one hour class. During that time, we all got to play triangles and xylophones, and accompany a pretty song said to have originated with the Yuma tribe. Great stuff!

SMOOTH OPERATOR: After music, we had to run out to the office of a dentist CJ had seen the day before to pick up some x-rays. As we entered the office CJ (unprompted) strode confidently up to the counter and said, "Hey, remember me?" And they did remember him (Christian reported that they had been charmed by him the day before). I realize this might not sound newsworthy, but for a kid who had significant speech (and correlating social) delays, it's a Really Big Deal. Go CJ!

BLOOD SUCKERS: Early this afternoon CJ asked me about leeches. "Are they like baby vampires?" he asked. I told him that they did suck blood, but that was about the limit of their vampire analogy.

So, I hopped online and found a lesson plan about leeches on the PBS Nature Web site. I told the kids I was going to read them some info about leeches. CJ asked if there was going to be a quiz. I said "no," to which he replied, "But I want to have a quiz, Mommy." Well if you insist. ...

So we read up on leeches, and learned that when leeches bite a victim, their unique saliva causes blood flow to increase AND prevents clotting. So, if you're having microsurgery and trying to have a finger or ear attached, leeches can be a very good thing. We learned that leeches are segmented worms (like the earthworms we were studying yesterday). "I want to see the inside of a leech," CJ implored. I found a cool drawing and a new resource (Florida's Educational Technology Clearinghouse).We also found a really informative video on YouTube about how some leeches stalk their prey by somersaulting toward them! Not much later, CJ yelled through the bathroom door to me, "When I grow up, I''ll be a bug scientist. Then can I look on their insides?" I told him he could. "I mean not on a computer, " he clarified. Yes, CJ. Their real live dead insides, I assured him.

BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE: Last week, CJ had a gloriously successful day playing Cruis'n World in a closet sized arcade in a La Quinta in Tacoma. He kept winning free plays and at the end of every triumphant round a very happy looking animated woman in a very small bathing suit would come out with a trophy, indicating to him that he won first place. Quite naturally, CJ took this to mean that a trophy would soon be on its way to him from Cruis'n World Headquarters. And so today, a package arrived (with a little help, in the same vein as Santa, Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny have help ...).

CJ was ecstatic. Annabelle was jazzed too. "I'm so PROUD of you CJ! Good job, Buddy," she gushed, giving him a high five.

DOUBLE PARKED: Recess/PE was two parks today - the lovely Bay View park by our house at lunchtime and then Lawton late afternoon.

BLANK STARE: Truth be told, I'm still wrestling with explaining/quantifying/qualifying what we do (or, more pointedly, what we don't do, which is go to school in the manner most families do). This morning after music, the nanny of two classmates of CeeJ & Bee asked me if my kids have Fridays off from school. I said, 'no,' then she asked Annabelle where she goes to school. I tried to jump in and help Annabelle answer but it's complicated. For instance, Annabelle goes to yoga and ballet and music, but she doesn't go to a school, per se. I just told the nanny that Annabelle wasn't quite old enough for kindergarten this year, and that CJ went to kindergarten last year but it was a disaster, so we chose not to do that this year. At that she immediately said, "Oh, so you homeschool." Yes. Well. I guess. (Have I mentioned I have a really hard time with that label?)
Then, later today when I was filling out another dentist's forms, right at the top it asked for the name of the school CJ goes to. I just left it blank. I'm thinking I should have written Magnolia Preparatory Academy. Really, what's it to them? ... And what's it to me? ...

RANDOM QUOTE: CJ today - "I'll start a babysitting service when I'm a man." He then asked if I'd help him drive to the places he needs to go for the job, so he wouldn't get lost.