No More Home Living

Today Matthew related that he no longer chooses to play in the Home Living center at school. This used to be his very favorite center and the one he always hoped to get to first! A limited number of students can be at each center so he always hoped that there was room for him. But, today he says,


"The girls there try to rule me and are bossy. They say 'Matthew do this.' And there aren't any other boys there. Most other boys don't like to play there. They don't like Home Living, and they don't want to go there when I ask them, so I don't want to go there any more."

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am disappointed that for the first time (at least the first time he's voiced to me) he is choosing an activity that he doesn't really like just because of his classmates. He said that today he went to "the little round things with holes that you connect with sticks, but I didn't really like them, but I went there because Tripp went there." What?? At 5 years old he's already following people to activities and he already doesn't go to Home Living because "boys don't do that" ??? hmmm.

I have a feeling we're in for a rough next 20-ish years.....

Fall Update

Wow! We've been away from our blog so long - I hope you haven't given up on us. We are all still here, just busy with...well, all that life holds!

Let's see, our regular week includes a violin lesson for Matthew on Mondays, after school choir for Mom on Tuesdays, library and the park on Wednesdays, and a trip to SoHo sweets on Fun Fridays! Of course, other things seem to sneak up on us as well.

Since we last wrote, Matthew enjoyed Grandpals Day at his school (Edgewood Elementary) with his Grandmama and Papaw. I wish I had pics to show you of that, but parents were not allowed! Matthew is loving school - his favorite things are still PE and playground time. :) We are so proud that he reads beautifully - ask him to read you a story the next time you see him! Together we are reading Gertrude Chandler Warren's The Boxcar Children. Matthew has always loved trains, so this is right up his alley! Kids living in an abandoned traincar with no parents....too cool!

Halloween was so much fun this year - Matthew decided he would dress up for the first time. He wanted to be the Dread Pirate Matthew. These first few pictures are from Boo at the Zoo the weekend before Halloween at the Birmingham Zoo...you can see MVP brandishing his hook, which he used to carry his pirate trick or treat bucket (he had to have a free hand for his sword.)

Here the pirate finds a horse, or a tiger, I think...

So, on Halloween we dressed up again and headed to Samford to visit Sorority Row Trick or Treat, where every house was themed. But to Matthew's dismay, all the houses were closed and the trick or treating was all outside...he kept saying, "I want to go inside." He wasn't interested in the candy, only in going inside the sorority

houses....sigh....hmm.



So, we made short work of that visit and headed to West Glenwood to see some great decorations (Andy was taking notes, I know it!) and Matthew walked up and down the blocked off street. Next a stop by the Homewood Police to sit on a motorcycle, jump in the "bouncy thing," eat popcorn, and we were on our way to Grandmama's. Matthew enjoyed being on the other side of the trick or treating for a change and visiting with Martha and Billy and then we were ready to call it a night. Whew...we went from trying to drag him out to "enjoy" some fun Halloween times to trying to drag him home!

This past week he wanted to run in the 1m Turkey Trot at his school, but he had a fever/stomach virus and missed 3 days of school...including his field trip to the Old Baker Farm and Pumpkin Patch. He was very disappointed, but we are feeling better now and are back on track to have a good time this week! Today we were out of school for Veteran's Day and we played at the park with our friends Sam and Nathan, so we are excited that this is a "short" week!

We love you all and hope you are well and happy,

C, A, M