They love to dump things in the crockpot.

Salt & Pepper

Macaroni and cheese casserole for dinner.

Bayley made this owl mask at the zoo.

HE CAN WRITE HIS NAME!!!

BAYLEY CAN WRITE HIS NAME!!

Until now he could only trace the letters, but something clicked in his brain and he can write now. Anything. He even sounded out and wrote the word hat today.

He's a genius!

Kids are Mean

Every day the refrain is the same. What did you do at school today, Bayley?
"I just can't remember." I know a few tricks to pull it out of him. What was the snack? Who dressed the weather bear? What story did your teacher read? Occasionally I'll get a glimpse at his day.

Yesterday he wasn't budging. And after class when the boys had their 10-minutes at the playground with the other kids who just got out of preschoool, Bayley opted to play alone or with Hayden not the kids his age. Fine.

But once we were home he started acting up. Every move Hayden made was "Hayden, you act like such a baby." After the 4th or 5th refrain I realized what happened and snuggled with Bayley. Someone was mean to my pumpkin. Can't I wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him safe from insensitive preschoolers?

Anyway, we had a nice chat. He knows about namecalling and to tell the teachers. I think he is almost the youngest kid in that class. Out of 30 kids 8 of them are 5 already. Okay, enough. But now I remember why I hated school. Kids are mean.

**Bay gets upset when he talks about it, so don't mention it, K?**

Knock Knock

The boys love to joke! Here's Bayley's

Knock, Knock!
Who's There?
Cow.
Cow Who?
Cows don't who, they moo!!

Knock, Knock!
Who's There?
Little Old Lady
Little Old Lady Who?
Little Old Lady Who lives in a shoe

Knock, Knock!
Who's There?
Boo Hoo
Boo Hoo Who
Don't Cry!

And then Haydens:
Knock, Knock!
Who's There?
Cow
Cow Who?
Moo Cow.

Hey. He's 2.

First Day!

How beautifully uneventful. No whining, no crying, just bliss. Bayley dressed himself, donned his backpack and we walked to preschool. He marched right into the classroom and started checking things out. A few minutes of being completely ignored and Jeff decided to bail. That was the one and only glimpse of nervousness, abated the second he realized I was staying a bit longer. One more picture colored and even I hit the door without protest. He is amazing.

For the record, he loved the snack - graham crackers and marshmallows. But he passed on the juice and had water instead. On the way home he said that some of the kids "knew how to listen to the teacher better" and got prizes. I pointed out those kids were probably in preschool last year (they have a class for 3-yr-olds too) and I think he felt better about it.

Hayden had a hard time. He wanted to go to school too. Even at home he was looking for Bayley and a little mopey. I guess one-on-one time with me pales in comparison to the whilwind of excitement that is Bayley.

Lions, Frogs and Fish

Pre-school starts next week. I didn't prepare for it, no school clothes or supply list. But I did figure Bayley would need a backpack. Partly because there are pegs by the door. But mainly because he is such a picky eater.

They have snack time at school, and no peanut products are allowed. Peanut butter is Bayley's major food group. He's even picky about his junk food. No cookies without chocolate chips, that sort of thing. I think I'll sneak a snack into his backpack so he can grab it if he doesn't like the treat of the day.

The parents rotate who brings the snack. I'm torn about what to bring in. Should I go healthy and go with popcorn or fruit, or should I try and make Bayley the cool kid and bring Hostess, or should I have Bayley make something each time it's our turn? He's no help. He wants to bring croutons. Maybe the teachers will have insight.

So on Monday I'll send him into the world, with a backpack full of croutons. Finding a backpack was a hassle. Bayley wanted one with a lion on it. Couldn't find one, so a neighbor suggested iron on patches. Brilliant. Bayley picked out a lion and a fish. We went to Target today for a plain backpack, but he didn't like any of those. Great.

I spied some kids backpacks on a clearance endcap and knew the frog one would be perfect. Blue, he loves frogs and dragonflies which are apliqued on. Right next to it is one with flowers and ladybugs. Bayley loves bugs so wants that one. I want to stay married, so I talked him into the frogs. Was that wrong?

No matter. The lion and fish iron ons match the color scheme of the frog pack. All is good in the hood.

Jokester

"Knock, knock," Hayden says, his fist hitting the air to let you know "nah-nah" means knock knock right now.
"Who's there?"
"Cow." His grin lets you know there is more to come.
"Cow who?"
Laughter bubbles up, making his eyes sparkle. This is where you're supposed to laugh, you see. And when you don't, he yells, "Poop!"

So he doesn't have the rhythm and timing of a true commedian. But he's learning the pattern of a joke. He's trying. And he gets to say poop.

Not to be outdone, here is Bayley's new joke:

What did all the monsters ride at the amusement park?
The scary-go-round!