Another Birthday

Joe is officially a pre-teen now. He turned 12 on Monday and did a great job being sullen and grumpy today in preparation for adolescence. Tonight was his and Ben's last basketball game in the Y league. Dan has been coaching, and they have lost, badly, every single game. So all day he was grousing about his game. In a moment of generosity, one of the teams loaned the Cook team their best player, so they weren't trounced as badly as they have been - they only lost by a few points, and Joe scored a couple baskets, so his mood had improved by bedtime.

Last weekend was absolutely beautiful, but we spent the time inside at the bowling alley at a fundraiser for Birthrite. Claire met a beauty pageant queen who is supposed to post her picture at www.freewebs.com/missvirginiaaq08. So this week her mind has been full of princesses, and with Annie's help, she is already planning her purple princess birthday party, to which she is going to invite all her friends from co-op. I'm wondering if she is going to invite her friend "Alex" who supposedly she met at the Y. "Alex" is a princess and, according to Claire, she has a baby brother who died. I'm wondering that, if addition to cussing, Claire is also becoming a liar. She seems to be good at making up stories and at tattling. When I asked her yesterday why she was telling on John, she told me to go spank him. At least she's not hitting him so much herself.

Perhaps Claire should have given up tattling for Lent. Ben, Dan and I gave up sweets, and Dan gave up beer in addition. Joe and James gave up Wii and Joe also gave up chocolate while James also gave up cookies. John supposedly gave up fighting, and Annie gave up gum and picking her nose. We are trying to get John to give this up, too, but he told us he likes the taste.

Lately John has been dressing up to go to the library. First he was a knight, and then a cowboy, and last Tuesday he wore his astronaut suit. I think he enjoys the appreciative stares that he garners from the other pre-school boys who attend at the same time. He also entertained the librarians with the easy one-button operation of his helmet at check-out time.

Ben has yet to love Taylor but today he shared a couple of things he has been learning. First he got a 100 on his reading test, and he also learned a poem: "This is my pinkie, this is my thumb, this is the peace sign, and you're number one." Or something like that. It has hand motions that I'm sure Garrett G., the Duffy's friend, would appreciate.

Here are some recent photos: The Seabee ball was last weekend. I'm looking old and wrinkly in basic black after sporting hot pink last year. We won the centerpiece: A coconut cake with candles perfect for Joe's birthday celebration.

James got artistic with the camera while he was supposed to be doing math. The glass is reflecting on Claire's first representational drawing: a baby. If you look closely, you can make out eyes, nose, and many arms.

John wanted Luke to see this picture of him in the bath because he so enjoyed Luke's bubble suit photo. He has not worn this outfit to the library.