Monday, January 10, 2011

Oh well.

Raph was messing with the computer tonight, and now there is tons of space on the harddrive and NOT A SINGLE PHOTO - and he's at hockey? I'm sure there some fancy computer business behind the lack of photos, but, I mean come on, what can I write about if I don't have cute cherubic faces to lure readers in with?

When I woke up today I had a note from Makili's school asking if I could sub. Lately, there are plenty of days when getting there by 9 is a stretch, much less by 8, with three lunches instead of one, extra clothes for 2 instead of 1 - they get so dirty!, and myself in some semblance of order. But we did get there by 8! And then the teacher was there? She hadn't gotten my message, so had come anyway, so my day just started extra early.

Our buddy Laird came over after school, and it is so fascinating to watch Makili and Laird play (or any other group of young children I suppose). The way they have to work everything out and invent their own rules and all that. It has really changed Makili to be around other kids regularly. Laird is good for him, I think. Laird is the youngest of three boys, so he knows about all the big kid stuff (like bad guys, shooting, jail, being dead, monsters, etc.), but he's wildly creative. Makili is pretty literal. It might be his age (Laird is a full year older) or it might be partly a first child thing, but he is not prone to stepping outside the box. It drives my crazy since I define myself by my creativity at times. Makili wasn't interested in drawing AT. ALL. until quite recently. I was lucky if I could coerce him into drawing his favorite letter - H, but he certainly wouldn't draw people or anything else. Lately he will draw nothing but Lightning and Mater, which was sort of interesting at first, but I mean come on! We have made play-doh lightning countless times, Mack, Mater a gazillion times. It just doesn't end. Right when we moved into our house he did spice up my life with a few house drawing and some really quality drawings of our new potty, but he got over that quick.

So anyway, Laird has no lack of creativity. It is fascinating to see the two of them work this out, because for many things, Makili sees one way to do something. "No you do it this way." I hear that a lot. He certainly hasn't learned that there is more than one way to skin a cat. (What a weird expression, huh?) Today though, I heard Laird telling Makili that his people can't fly. In my head I'm thinking, "really Laird, you're going to squash the single creative flicker in Makili's imagination?" but they quickly worked it out. Makili's people could fly over the pillow, but only over the pillow (magic pillow?). I think their peoples were at war, sadly, even though I tried to get them to work together to build something? I guess Makili's peoples had an unfair advantage with their flying capabilities.

This story really goes nowhere except to point out that kids are weirdos, and I actually had half an hour of free time on my hands.