Shrinking?

AJ's on a huge growth spurt.

This morning, he snagged me in the hall and gave me a hug. Suddenly, he put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me away to arms length. He put his hand on my head then over his head, measuring.

Grinning, he announced, "You're shorter again!"

Pet Names

AJ has never quite caught on to the Mister and Misses thing. Despite everyone's best efforts, he simply calls all of his teacher by their last names. Sometimes, however, he just can't quite remember the whole last name.

AJ's regular ed teacher caught me in the parking lot the other day. Her name is Mrs. VanHoe. With a smile, she was remarking how it makes her laugh every time he addresses her.

He simply calls her Ho'.

I told her that I was sure he means it affectionately!

Can you believe it?

He's TWELVE!!!

"Said"

AJ and I were doing his reading homework. He buzzed through reading the assigned 'Max' worksheet three times with lightning speed with the exception of stumbling over the word "said" each of the three times it appeared on the sheet.

When he was done, I told him that I had a test: "Find said."

He pointed twice at what seemed to be random. I thought maybe he didn't understand what I was asking.

I repeated "Find said."

Again, he pointed twice at what seemed to be random. I was puzzled at why he was so confused.

I told him a third time, "Find said."

He pointed twice and it hit me that he WASN'T pointing at random...he was pointing at the quotation marks!

Persuasion

I was tucking AJ into bed the other night. As I lean over to give him a kiss, he lets loose the biggest, loudest fart you've ever heard....and proceeds to giggle hysterically.

Not being a boy, I don't find it nearly as amusing as he does, immediately back away, say a distant goodnight from the doorway and make a quick exit.

He desperately tries to persuade me to come back:

AJ: "Mom. Hug"

Mom: "No way."

AJ: "Mom...c'mere. Kiss."

Mom: "Nope. Go to sleep"

AJ: "Mom. No more stink."

Mom: "Yes it does. Goodnight"

AJ: "Mom. Hug. Please."

Mom: "Nope!"

AJ: "Kiss!"

Mom: "No way."

AJ: "Mommmm......be friendly!"

Eye Exam

AJ needed his eyes checked. I suggested to the doctor that he use letters rather than pictures since he has become quite proficient in identifying them over the last year.

AJ was a willing participant, with the small exception that he took his eye exam "phonetically". Rather than saying the name of the letter that was being shown, he said the sound the letter makes and gave an example of a word that begins with that letter. The doctor said he'd never had it done quite that way before!

Halloween Costume

Since we turned the calendar page to October, AJ has been agonizing over what he wants to be for Halloween. We went to the costume shop yesterday. He scrutinized costume after costume...Pirates, superheroes, doctors, ninjas, rock stars... Finally, something caught his eye and he told me breathlessly, "HERE IT IS!" I was rather surprised by his choice and asked him, what is it? Immediate reply "Pharaoh. Joseph Coat!" So...here he is. The Pharaoh from the musical "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat."