Contraptions

Evan has set up a "swing" in the backyard - a loop of rope over one of the branches of our fig tree. It's had the effect of getting the boys playing in the backyard much more, which is nice to see.

Tonight, Callum added to it - setting up a pulley system, where someone swinging on the swing pulled up a counterweight balanced from the cubbey house. Declan took advantage by using the effect of the counterweight to give him a push. We were very proud of our little engineers.

Fruit!

Evan brought home some watermelon this evening, and told the boys it was dessert. They both complained bitterly, but managed to be convinced to try it, after the promise of a potential special treat afterwards.

It turned out that Declan did actually quite like it (although he tried to hide it), but Callum insisted on screwing up his face and having a drink of water after every mouthful.

Tooth update

Declan now has his first loose tooth. He's very proud of it. It doesn't seem to be very loose at the moment, just enough for him to feel grown up.

Critters

Callum's hair is quite long at the moment. Because it's also been very humid, it curls in a very cute way that also means it's not in his way in any way.

Nevertheless, we've been saying with increasing frequency that we really should cut it. But tonight, he complained of itchiness, and I had a quick look. Critters. I counted at least five before I gave up. It's been at least a year since our last experience. But right now, Callum is being quite patient (given the fineness and longness of his hair) while Evan combs his hair with a mechanised fine tooth comb and special nit-fighting conditioner.

I expect the initial count to be in the 30s at least.

Brainwashing almost there

Angela found some new Zac Power books two weeks ago - with a font twice as big, and a quarter the words in total of the normal ones. We immediately (well as soon as we could find a bookshop that stocked them) bought the set of four for Declan, who was thrilled to find books that he felt comfortable, and excited, to read.

Tonight I went up there at 9 to discover that Declan was still reading, having finished book 3 (which he had been half way through when he went to bed) and been compelled by a need to see the next gadget to start book 4.

Sometimes I wonder whether our brainwashing that reading is just about the most exciting activity anybody could aspire to is really sensible, but I can't help feeling pleased when it sticks!

Teleporter

Callum's latest invention (when he grows up) is going to be a teleporter. He's told us that he will still need to learn much more science before he can actually make it, but right now his plan is to create a machine that disassembles the atoms of something at one end, and then reassembles them in the same pattern at the other end.

He's going to start with simple objects, then progress to more complicated ones over longer distances. And then he told me his next tester will be Declan. I think I've convinced him that he should try it on an insect or some other animal before progressing to human testing.

Punishment

On Friday we went for dinner at one of Declans' friends' places - so they could all watch the latest Clone Wars episode together. It emerged, during the evening, that Declan and Ethan had recently shared a punishment - they had had to sit down the front of the class on the floor for one lesson.

Declan hadn't told us before, but was happy to tell us more detail when reminded - he had been "fiddling with his knees". Apparently his teacher is very strict on any kind of fiddling, with the culprits being given the sitting on the floor punishment. Declan shared their punishment with Patrick, another friend of all of them.

We're still waiting to see whether she is just showing the class who is boss at the beginning, or she is stricter than any of my primary school teachers (or at least than I can remember!)

Cal update

Cal's teacher grabbed me in the playground the other day and said he was doing 'brilliantly' and that his writing, his maturity, everything had leapt forward during the holidays. I personally think it's been largely a case of rising to meet the challenge. in any case it's good to know she thinks it's going well. He's certainly still happy.

Swimming Carnival

Cal had his first swimming carnival during the week. He swam in the 50m freestyle and came 5th. He was very happy to have done it.

Front tooth

Callum has, for what feels like forever now, had both his top front tooth in a very precarious looking loose state. One of them, in particular, is practically horizontal.

But yesterday it was the other one that shook itself loose - from Callum biting on soggy Weetbix, of all things.

He was super excited (it having been a couple of months since the last one) and told everyone who showed the slightest sign of listening, including me that evening, forgetting that I'd been there when it happened.

Donations

This week, there has been much talk about the Victorian bushfires in our house - partly because I felt compelled to watch the news, even while the boys were awake, and partly because Cammeray School was fundraising.

Callum told us that we should definitely donate some money to the poor bushfire victims who had lost their houses. We agreed with him, and suggested that he should donate some pocket money also. He was outraged at the idea, at first, then saw the point, but was still very unwilling to part with his own hard earned money. In the end, he paid for the gold coin morning tea they had this morning at school out of his own money.

Declan was completely ready to donate, but as he is also always willing to spend his money on the trashiest toy right in front of him, I'm not sure his willingness denotes anything particularly more charitable.

Channels

The other night, Declan was having difficulty going to sleep, after watching a slightly scary nature program (about giant sloths - surprisingly, the one about the Tyrannosaurus Rex the week before didn't scare him nearly as much). He told me that all the channels in his head were playing the sloths program, and so he wouldn't be able to get to sleep.

I tried to suggest some other channels - Zac Power, Star Wars, Pokemon - but his head was stuck in the same channels.

Excess energy

Today was pretty hot - 35 or 36 or so outside. So we spent the day mostly inside, with lots of computer games. The result is that neither Callum or Declan was in any way sleepy when they went to bed at 8.30 (after the regular Saturday night late bedtime for Mythbusters).

I just went up there just before 10 (!) to find them both very chatty, having set up a very complex set of traps and alarms for any potential burglar or parent. They had grabbed some red ribbon from some decoration or other, and tied it in different directions all over their bedrooms.

And they'd put a label on the bedroom door - Warning, Callum and Declan's workroom. Apparently there is more that will only reveal itself in the morning.

Busy

We seem to have slipped into a lot of things going on in the week.

Monday: Robotics for both before school, the Band for Callum at lunch, TKD for both after
Tuesday: Swimming for both after school
Wednesday: Band for Cal at lunch, TKD for both after school
Thursday: Piano lessons for both beofre school, Science for both after school

I'm getting a few chances to catch up on my reading while ferrying them about but we've reached a point where they are now splitting into seperate lessons again which means entertaining them individually while the other does their thing. So, for example, Declan does Science from 3:15-4:15 then Cal does it from 4:30-5:30. It is making me slightly regret not having bought the house 2 minutes walk from the school!

All quiet on the school front

Well after a week School seems to be going fine. I ran into Cal's teacher the other day and she said he was "definitely in the right place". She's also been making sure he can find his Yr3 friends at lunchtime.

Declan seems happy with Mrs H and her reputation for toughness does not seem apparent so far.

Night Terrors

For a few months now, Declan has been having night terrors (according to Dr google, that is the technical term). He seems awake, talks about how he is scared about unspecified things, starts crying hysterically, but doesn't respond to anything). It's not every night - maybe once or twice a week, but quite hard to watch.

My current theory is that it happens more often when its hot, but after reading Dr Google, I'm beginning to wonder whether I should track his after dinner TV as well.

I'm not a robot!

Lately we've been having a few tests of wills with Declan over various little things. He can be stubborn at times, so if we ask/tell him to do something he's not particularly keen on doing, it can quickly escalate if any cross words are exchanged on either side.

Yesterday, after a few words had been exchanged, he came out with, "I'm not a robot! I'm in charge of myself!", which both Evan and I found very amusing (but trying our hardest to hide it from Declan, of course).