The Year Without a Santa Claus?

At the bus stop on Thurs morning, C declared that everyday should be Christmas, Halloween or Easter so that they could have a school holiday.  One of the other boys started spouting ABSOLUTE NONSENSE about an alledged alternative identity of Santa.  C at first seemed to agreed, but then relayed the following tale:  "One night I got up and went to mom and dad's room.  They were sleeping.  I woke up Dad, but he fell back asleep.  I woke up Mom, but she fell back asleep.  So I went downstairs and there was Santa unpacking toys.  He didn't see me."  I was just glad C was there to straighten out that poor, delusional boy!  I have a feeling that this conversation will come up again at some really inopportune moment.  Hopefully, not in the next three months... 

C has received a scholarship for a boy's class at the NC Dance Theatre and is now in his second week.  He enjoyed the dance lessons he took over the summer, but, like with many things, as soon as he's done it a few times, wants to move on to the next thing.  He now wants to take a gymnastics class with M.  One thing at a time--and we'll see how the dance develops.  He's also in a new Cub Scout Pack.  We have a camp out next weekend.  We'll see how that goes.  He's doing well in school, but as the above conversation indicates, is in the 2nd grade mindset of not wanting to go.  They have homework every night and it often is threading the needle to get it done since we get home shortly after 5.  Do homework, then dinner, then bath, then bed.  No wonder he misses play time.

M started to "get" adoption a couple of weeks ago.  She's been asking T and I to recount our geneological histories for months, but lately, will sometimes ask us who our "real" mommy is.  We've also told her that her given name was Mentamir (and that C's was Nhan).  So she'll ask T and I to tell her the other name our mommies gave us.  For now, we can tell her that Ellie's other name is Eleanor.  She's doing really well at preschool.

Ellie is taken with the alphabet song... at least the first two phrases and the ending.  We'll get the rest in eventually.  Lately, she's loved climbing up and down the ladders of the playset.  She likes to go across the monkey bars too, though I obviously have to hold her.  She's started to become more independent and will pout or throw a mini-fit if she doesn't get want she wants.  She especially likes to climb into her car seat on her own and then resists being buckled in.  Similarly, she wants to climb around inside the car when we arrive home and resists being extracted.  She's still not eating much.  T's not feeding her at night, but she still wakes up once or twice, but goes back to sleep quickly after I comfort her for 30 seconds or so.