David Weekly, #72

In a left over detail from a couple of weeks ago, I keep forgetting to put that David took his first ride on a roller coaster! At the zoo, there's a kiddie coaster. David thought it was pretty scary. I sat next to him the whole time, making sure he was ok. Avery and Jared loved it!

"So David, how was your day?" "Bad." Me: "Why?" "Because I hit (so-and-so) on the cheek." "Did you get in trouble?" David: "No." "Why did you hit her?" David: "I don't know!" Of course, I tell him not to hit, that it's not allowed, etc... I talked to Ms Mary (the director) about this, and she says it's really nothing to worry about, because it's when he's with the bigger, after-school kids that he gets into trouble. She says he's at a transition point between being a bigger kid and a not bigger kid, so she'll make sure he stays with the littler kids so he won't have this kind of problem.

Saturday, he played in the park some while I practiced softball. We also saw "Where the Wild Things Are." He was a bit bored of it at points, and got especially scared when Max was throwing a temper tantrum before running off. I was surprised by that. Didn't expect a kid throwing a tantrum would be scary to another kid. David really was involved at that point. Some of the time he was bored he would play with the seat that goes up by itself, which he thought was funny. He spent a good part of the movie in my lap. The monsters were by turns scary and fun.

David went to the Rattle Snake Festival on Sunday, and had a blast! He played a lot with Cayenne, went on all the inflatable "toys" or "obstacle courses", and refused to eat anything, no matter what it was, except for the cotton candy. He finally ate a cheeseburger that evening when we went to dinner w/ Cinnamon and her daughter. At dinner, he was singing a song about vowels, mostly under his breath, not really singing it to be heard, as much as just playing his own music. David sings lots of songs to himself, either outloud or under his breath, where he's the only person really hearing it.

On Wednesday David and I went to a store to find him a costume. Even though he vacillates between Batman, a Wild Fing, and a dinosaur, he will end up being batman. The funny thing is, he saw the dinosaur costumes, but they were for babies and toddlers, neither of which David is anymore. So he says, "Those are for babies..." not with any of the usual derision that most older preschoolers show for littler kids; instead, his attitude was just along the lines of "not appropriate for me." I asked which Wild Thing he wants to be, and he says "Max." But there are no Max costumes anywhere, and there's not enough time for the people I know to make a costume for him, so that's why Batman. Rachel really helped in this respect, putting together something for him, and having the Batman mask available really helps...

Thursday I was at my sister's house to pick up the boy, and I told him I got a flu shot. I even showed him the band-aid over where the shot in my arm was. He was most impressed by this. "Oooooooo" he says. "Did it hurt?" he asked, with much concern. And now his voice quieter: "Did you cry?" I told him that it did hurt (it didn't, not really), and that I didn't cry. Friday morning he asked to see the shot again, and asked me about it. I said, "Well, you can't even tell where they gave the shot." I showed my arm again, and he put two fingers to try to feel it.

On a "cold" morning, David asked me for his jacket while he ate his cereal. I put him off for a minute. Then I notice he's not eating, so I say, "Eat your cereal!" His reply: "You have to get my jacket first..." very monotone, matter of fact. The kid's a bargainer. I'm in trouble.

Friday night we went to the Haunted Trail at Hillsborough River State Park. David was very scared. I held him through the whole trail. He used his little pen light that he got from the allergy doc 6 months ago as a "weapon" to protect himself from the scary bugaboos that presented themselves along the trail, by shining the light on them. So even though he was scared, I'd say he was brave. They also had a more well lit, more kid-friendly area where we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on a big screen TV. There is a part where Sally is expressing her love Linus (with the little hearts everywhere when she swoons), and I told David that one day, he'll have his own Sally...and his reply: "Aww Mannnnn!"

It's been a good week.