Month 56 - Recap

My sweet boy,
You are Dothan's newest ninja. Oh wait - am I allowed to say that? Or is the first rule of being a ninja 'Don't Talk About Being a Ninja'?

Let's just assume it's safe to talk about.

I found out that Dothan offered this class for little boys a while ago, and had intended on signing you up right away, but never got around to it (Second Child Syndrome strikes again!). I finally did last month and you couldn't be happier. You wear a Super Cool Ninja Uniform - a black shirt with glare-y ninja eyes on the front and NINJA IN TRAINING written on the back and a black headband with NINJA written across the front. When you're all decked out, you look like a force to be reckoned with. With menacing dimples. And terrifying freckles.

I think you were expecting to do some serious American Ninja Warrior-type stuff in your class, and while you may one day graduate to the salmon ladder and warped wall, all ninja greats have to start at the bottom. And the bottom includes climbing over and jumping off of foam pads, rolling down inclined mats, walking along the balance beam, and doing ninja rolls (to the untrained eye, one might think they were somersaults. But one would be wrong. And one would be quickly chastised and loudly corrected and shown the error of her ways).

After those obstacles, you and your class head to the giant pit of foam blocks. I'm not gonna lie, it looks really fun. I kind of wish you little ninjas would leave so I could play in it. There's a lot of jumping, flailing, climbing, throwing, and falling. And then your teacher brings over the big rope so you guys can practice swinging on the rope and landing in the pit. Or, if you're four and your names rhymes with Barley, holding on to the rope with one hand, running toward the pit, throwing the rope out your hand, and belly flopping into the foam pit. Same difference, really.

After each class, you're as drenched as if you had just taken a shower with your ninja clothes on. The Sweaty Ninja has a nice ring to it.

A few weeks ago, Daddy put you to bed and you gave him a message for me. "Daddy, will you ask Mommy that I love her?" Will you ask Mommy that I love her?!! Ack. Your cuteness level is the best.

You have been on a serious Lego kick this month. You've already announced that you'd only like Star Wars Legos and superhero Legos for your birthday and Christmas. I asked you if that meant you were outgrowing your Duplos and you quickly reassured me that "No way! I'll probably have these Duplos when I'm an adult, especially because I want to be a Stay at Home Guy when I grow up." (You've got it in your mind that your dream job is to be a Stay at Home Guy. You can't pinpoint exactly what this job entails other than staying at home playing with toys. Solid plan from a four-year-old ...)

The Sweaty Stay at Home Ninja Guy has an even cooler ring to it. Not that you ever heard me talk about you being a ninja.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Headlines for July 9, 2016:

• Arsenal of weapons found in home of Dallas shooter who wanted to 'kill whites'
• Robot Bomb Apparently Used for First Time by Police in Dallas
• House GOP calls grow for FBI perjury probe into Clinton statements
• Players in hunt for Pokemon Go monsters feel real-world pain
• US Zika Infections During Pregnancy Climbs to 320, CDC Says
• Calvin Johnson's Retirement Reveals Pain Impossible to Ignore for NFL Players

June 2016 - Recap

My sweet girl,
We got back into the pool this month because in the South, there are only 12 minutes of springtime. Then it dives headfirst into SUMMER. There is no "summer". Only SUMMER. Last SUMMER, you started out in the pool pretty timid and nervous after such a long time being pool-less. This SUMMER, however, you acted as if there hadn't been 9+ months of a break. You jumped right into the deep end and swam to the shallow end over and over (and over and over). My goal for you for this summer is to be able to do an underwater somersault. You're about 90% there but then you freak out and undo that 90%. I keep telling you that undoing that 90% is way more work than just finishing the final 10% but it falls on deaf ears. You ain't got time for no logical thoughts from Momma.

Another goal is for you do be able to do a cannonball without letting go of your legs one nanosecond before hitting the water thereby doing a belly-flop-knee-flop-face-flop.

We tagged along with Daddy on one of his work trips last week. The hotels he stays at are usually really nice (read: nicer than where stay when we go somewhere as a family) and it's fun to go a different city, so whenever possible I like for us to go with him. This time it was in Daytona Beach. Our hotel was right on the Atlantic Ocean (on A1A ... BEACH FRONT AVENUE) and our room overlooked both the water and the little roller coaster and bungee jumping contraption next door. You and Charlie stayed up later than you ever have, but in doing so, we got to play in the Atlantic while we watched the moon rise and we got to watch this guy (whose name escapes me):



It's the first time you've seen anything like this before and you were mesmerized (and legitimately worried). You were peering through open fingers the whole time and kept asking "Momma, is he gonna be okay? Momma is he gonna be okay?" He was an excellent performer -- one second before the jaws snapped shut, he escaped from his strait jacket. You cheered and clapped and said to him after the show, "I'm really glad you didn't die." Amen, kid.

You went to VBS this month, too. And just like swimming this year when you showed no nervousness, you jumped into VBS this year with the Excitement Level cranked all the way up to 10. When I picked you up each day, you chattered nonstop about all the fun games you played and songs you sang. About all the yummy snacks you ate and all the nice kids you met. And you were plunged into the depths of despair (we just read Anne of Green Gables) on your last day because you wanted it to last forever. There was a Parent's Night on Thursday night where families come and listen to all the songs the kids have been learning all week. It was the most fun watching you on stage. You bounced nonstop while you were singing. You just get so excited when you sing that you can't possibly be still. I had a goofy perma-grin on my face as I watched my best girl dance and sing about Jesus. There just really isn't much better in life than that.

Tooth #7 kicked the bucket a few days ago. Now your smile is symmetrical and your Type-A momma can breathe a big sigh of relief (please know that I don't care that your smile was asymmetrical - wonky, little kid smiles always slay me, but in general, symmetry is my jam. But you > symmetry. I hope that makes sense.) In keeping with tradition, you completely forgot the previous six tooth losses and whined and cried and freaked out over the potential pain and potential blood. Honesty works the best for you, so I was all "Will it hurt? Sure, but maybe for three seconds and then it'll be over. Will there be blood? Probably, but I'm guessing not as much as Tooth #6. Are the hemostats scary? Well sure! Just close your eyes and problem solved! I'm 35 and even *I* keep my eyes closed when the dentist comes close to my mouth with one of his instruments." It took Daddy no time at all to pull your tooth and your whimpers quickly turned into giggles as you said "That wasn't bad at all!"

First thing the next morning, I made you write yourself a note to tell you to stop freaking out over losing a tooth. And I intend to make you read this note to yourself when Tooth #8 is ready to come out and you begin your Tooth Loss Amnesia hysterics. I don't have many quality, Original Mom Ideas but this one might make the cut.



Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Headlines for July 1, 2016:

• State Department seeks 27-month delay for release of Clinton Foundation emails
• Tesla driver using Autopilot feature killed by tractor trailer
• Texit? U.S. Secessionist Movements Seize on Brexit
• The 'Sully' Trailer Has Landed! See Tom Hanks as Hero Pilot
• Istanbul Airport Attack Victims Mourned, Honored, Praised
• Scientists report first amphibious centipede