Jamie Chew's Web Log: Vol. 3 No. 11

2009-10-20 20:10 (Kristen) Jamie and John went on a field trip with Jamie's class today, and report that they had a blast. They went up to a working farm north of the city, where they are set up to receive kids and talk about where food comes from. There were baby goats that were born as the kids were unloading from their bus, pot-bellied pigs, cows, goats, and sheep, along with various types of fowl. The boys, in particular, enjoyed getting the turkeys to run to and fro in a panic with a sound that the farmer taught to them. They climbed on hay bales, picked pumpkins, and saw a ten-minute lecture on where food comes from, just to make sure that Education was achieved. Jamie was so tired that he passed out and slept for half an hour on the bus home (but won't admit it). The nap was fortuitous, as Jamie just wouldn't have made it past dinner without one. He was one tired puppy tonight.

John also reports that Jamie has a small bevy of girls vying for his attention. Makaiya has declared Jamie to be her boyfriend again, and I'm not sure where this leaves Jenna, who is the only one to call Jamie "James." Knowing Jamie, she's still in the picture, because exclusivity isn't an idea he's familiar with. He's going to drive the girls crazy with his general cluelessness until he hits puberty, and that's all right with me.

Liam, in the meantime, had a good morning at Hakobune, and was in a great mood on the way home from daycare. We read a few books, he played his DS, and it was a good day for him. He really likes a book called Rhyming Dust Bunnies, which he thinks is hilarious, and will shout out his favourite lines whenever he can. Liam is also very happy because John was able to unlock "Extra" mode on Kirby's Squeak Squad for the boys, and can play five levels on his own of Marble Blast. John also points out that Liam, when Chelsea was over having her Japanese lesson, was able to identify the hiragana character "shi" by himself. Yay, Liam!

2009-10-21 23:15 (Kristen) Jamie's big achievement today was reading his borrow-a-book in one go (minus one page, which we read last night). It was the longest book he's read to this point, and certainly the fastest speed. He had math homework, which I got him to do by timing how quickly he could do it. Page 1 (counting) was finished in 60 seconds; page 2 (more counting) in 48 seconds. He liked that. Liam's achievement was to stand on the ice by himself and figure out how to use the glider in an effective way. He initially was. not. going. on. the. ice, and I kept him off, watching the other kids and eating goldfish, until he got restless. Then I dumped him onto the ice. The teachers tried to get him to skate without a glider, but he clearly can't. He did skate holding one teacher's hand, however (step step step), for a distance, and he did stand on the ice without falling. In his little black snow pants, black helment, and grey sweatshirt, he looked like a little emperor penguin chick from a distance. Thump! They gave him a glider, which he figured out how to use properly when he took his mittens off. Then he was starting to use it to bump balls on the ice, and actually have a good time. He even took two solo steps when motivated to choose a sticker at the end from the teacher, who stood just far enough back from the glider to make him come over to her. He was very happy when he came off the ice. Tom and Jack insisted that Liam come over for a playdate, which we did, and Jamie came over too when school was over with Charlie (Tom and Jack's brother). The boys had a great time, we all played together, and it was with some reluctance that we left. It was a quiet evening, and that was good.

2009-10-22 23:42 (Kristen) When John dropped Liam off at Hakobune today, he reports that Liam said to him, "I'm going to have fun playing at Hakobune now. See you later," before running off for an exciting morning of books and play. I may have mentioned that when I was a small child, I always had my nose in a book despite the irritated demands of my playmates to play with *them*. My younger son may have a bit of that in him too. Jamie had a playdate with Jake, and had dinner there too. Apparently the other boy visiting asked Jake's mom if they were going to be having "English" food for dinner. He was out of luck, because they had miso soup with tofu. When I picked Jamie up, I asked him what he had for dinner, and he said, "I think that I like Michelle's [Jake's mom's] soup better than yours. Sorry, Mummy." Then he suddenly worried that my feelings might be hurt, but I assured him that Jake's mom was a great cook and that I'd get a recipe. He was relieved.

2009-10-23 23:31 (Kristen) When Jamie came home from school today, Liam ran to meet him at the door. He threw his arms around his brother, saying "I love you, Jamie! I missed you! Here's your DS!" Jamie was more than a little delighted with this greeting, I think, judging from the look on his face. I think that it's the little brother equivalent of "pipe, newspaper, slippers."

We went to the Harvest Festival at Jamie's school, and had a great time eating hot dogs, picking up books, and eating cupcakes. It was dark and pouring rain when we left, so we walked over to Browning, where we dropped the boys off for a night of babysitting. John and I came back to pick them up at 9:00. The boys had been great, and had a great time, but went to bed far far too late.

2009-10-24 23:35 (Kristen) We were up a little late this morning, and so Jamie was ten minutes late getting to Japanese school today; John said "it was horrible," so I think that we'll all be up earlier next week. John came back to pick up Liam and me, and we went down to the Saint Lawrence Market together. Liam was insistent that I not drive, and when asked which parent should drive, he said to John "Papa! You win!" Then he turned to me and said "You lose!" and rubbed it in a little more. Gleefully. We did our shopping, came back home, and then John went to get Jamie at the usual time. Liam gave Jamie his usual effusive greeting, and they played happily for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening, our neighbours decided to have some sort of party with live music, and it was loud enough that, even with an alley, a garage door, and a yard separating us, the boys oculdn't sleep in their room. We have them in our room for now, so that they can sleep, but it was funny doing so. Jamie objected that John wasn't lying down with him, the way we used to; John pointed out to him that he and Liam are much bigger now, which is why everyone is sleeping in their own beds now. John just moved Jamie to his bed, and wonders out loud how he got to be so big. He was just a baby not that long ago...

2009-10-25 23:21 (Kristen) We all slept in until 9, which was lovely. Edna came to clean the house, and we all cleaned, played DS, or computer games, depending upon our ages. By lunchtime enough DS and computer gaming had been done, lunch was produced, and arrangements were made for a playdate at St Barnabas with a friend who was looking after her boyfriend's son. Jamie and Graham had a great time once they got together, and Liam, who had melted down on the way (unlike Jamie, who melted down when we were trying to leave) eventually perked up when his promised cookie finally materialized. The boys played soccer, climbed on everything, played with dirt, and had fun being boys. We eventually came back to our place via Jackman, where Jamie ran into Jake and Liam fell and gave himself an almighty good whack on the head when he slipped while climbing a caterpillar apparatus (short fall, but a lump was made). We made it home, where Jamie and Graham played some more, and Liam played with his beloved DS. Eventually Graham and Jennie went home, just as John returned with Daniel and Jim, our armourer, arrived. Jamie has some armour of his own for Hallowe'en, and Daniel's suit of armour continues its path to awesome. I made grilled cheese and soup for dinner, which the boys wolfed down. Unsurprisingly, really, given how active they'd been in the afternoon. Our friends Reid and Luisa were getting rid of a single bed, and John drove over to pick it up for Jamie, whose bed isn't that comfortable for him. We gave his old bed to John's parents' tenant, who hasn't a very nice bed, so everyone is happy and no beds were thrown away. Yay, green living. Jamie had a moment when we were disassembling his old bed when he was very unsure and wanted his old bed back, but he was delighted when his new one was set up and he could test it out. It's a real improvement, and while he's still finding it strange and adjusting, it's a Good Thing.

2009-10-26 22:57 (Kristen) Today was Show and Tell, and I suggested to Jamie that he take his Japanese Pokemon Encyclopedia to show his classmates, as the pokemon have different names in Japanese sometimes than they do in English. He says that it went very well, and the book looked like it had been well looked over. He seemed happy. Liam went off to soccer in protest, but had a great time once he was there. Jamie had lunch at Browning then ran off to school, while Liam showed up soon after Jamie left. They met up together, finally, after school at Browning again, and they were happy to play together and have fun. Jamie stayed close to Ross, as Ross shows him new and cool online video games, and Liam was a small, sensitive, melty boy on occasion. Both he and Jamie didn't get enough sleep the night before, and it showed. Dinner was made and eaten, and lots of fun was had doing this and that. Jamie did homework, and Liam played with his DS, accosting John (in the main) to help him "help Kirby." He loves his father very much, but was unimpressed with him when it was time to go home and get ready for the bath. I was out playing trivia, so I wasn't there to help stave off meltdowns from Sensitive Tired Boy. As he was falling asleep, Liam said to John, "I like Mummy. I no like Papa." Jamie, of course, was scandalized by such a statement.

* For the benefit of Scrabble players, words that are not in the Scrabble dictionary are marked with an asterisk.

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