Leapin Lizards!

Yesterday Ben, Claire and I all went swimming. This is one of the things we love to do, especially in summertime when the park is just too darn hot- cool off in the pool and play! While we were swimming around, I noticed a little lizard hanging out on one of our pool noodles. This year, we've had a couple of lizards drown in the pool, unfortunately. For fear that this would turn into one of those situations I got hold of the noodle and let the lizard go free on the cement walk surrounding our pool.

He sat there for a few minutes, so we all gathered round to watch what the little lizard would do. He was so cute and tiny, and his tail matched the sky perfectly. Much to our surprise, he turned around and leaped back into the pool! He started swimming toward Ben, who got a little nervous because he's split-- he likes the lizards, but doesn't exactly want them touching him. I quickly grabbed another pool noodle, and the lizard climbed back on. The lizard just hung out on the noodle, watching us.

Torn at what to do, we put a half inch of water and a couple of larger flat rocks into a bucket, and put the lizard (quickly dubbed "Little Blue Tail") into it so we could finish our swim and not have to worry about saving any more animal lives. Ben even gave him a leaf, which he figured was Blue's favorite toy. The kids would swim for a few minutes, then they'd have to get out and check that Blue was doing okay.

The kids got infatuated with the idea of keeping the little lizard for a pet. It took a lot of talking in the afternoon and evening hours to help them realize that Little Blue Tail wouldn't be happy with us, he'd miss all his lizard friends (we must have 10 or more lizards living in our yard right now- no complaints!), and he couldn't be happy in a bucket with nothing to do but sit on a rock or swim. Plus we didn't have any lizard food, and Blue would die, and that would be too sad.

Outside we quickly went to free our Little Blue Tail. He climbed up on a rock, so I reached in and pulled out the rock he was sitting on, and put it on the ground. He sat there for a minute while the kidlets said their goodbyes to Little Blue Tail (no tears, thankfully). Then when I opened the door to go inside, Blue bolted towards the door!! I got the kids inside before Blue could reach the door (man, those lizards can RUN!!!), and closed it, hoping that Blue would go find his family, and maybe some bugs to eat.

I've never seen a lizard like him before! I almost wanted a pet lizard myself. . . . Almost, but not quite. :)

School Years- Day 1

Today Ben started his first day of Kindergarten!! I still can’t believe it. I’m missing my little guy today.

Ben cracked me up yesterday (Sunday) by being highly animated while telling a friend that he has to stay at school ALL DAY, as he heaved an enormous sigh. Wow, he’s starting the dislike of school a little early! Hopefully it changes to like quickly. He did love preschool, after all!

This morning, at 0-dark-thirty, I took extra time and made breakfast that I thought Ben would really eat well, some good food to feed his brain for the day. Fifteen minutes after putting it on the table in front of him, he came and said he was all finished- and I found his food in the garbage can! What followed was a discussion about not throwing food away until he’s consulted me first. New job title: Mom, the food consultant. Who at the school is going to play that role?!? Yikes.

After he was dressed, backpack packed, and Claire and I were also ready for the fray, the three of us left home early to get Ben to school. I’d had a lot of warnings that getting to Ben’s school in time for drop-off is a very lengthy and terrifying process. You may be waiting in line for 15-30 minutes on the main road through the neighborhood, trying in vain to find a parking space that just isn’t, while other vicious parents waiting to drop their kids off wind up turning in to monsters with glowing red eyes and pointy teeth, showing no mercy to any average human in their path . . . It all sounded like a horror movie to me. I literally had formulated three plans to navigate through the neighborhood and find a parking spot so I could get Ben in on time. Which of those plans did I use? None of them. Why? Because when I pulled up to the school, I found a parking spot right away, walked Ben in, and was back out to the car in 15 minutes.

The only hitch I ran into was Claire, who is desperate to be in school just like Ben. She’s used to being part of a pair. She didn’t want to leave the classroom (“Can I go to school too, Mom?”). She wanted to stay with Ben (“Where is Ben going?”). She didn’t want to leave the playground (“Can I play at the park?”). We got on the road to go to the sitter’s and she repeatedly asked, “Mom, where’s Ben?”. Then, when her question was answered as many times as needed to cement that response, she started a different barrage of questions that I still wonder why on earth they pop up at 9:00AM. And yet, often in the morning I hear: “Mom? Can I have a popsicle? Mom? Can I have a cookie? Mom? Can I have a candy?” Nothing seemed too terribly new except the feeling that something was different when I dropped her off at the sitter’s today, alone.

Here’s hoping that Ben’s school day finishes the way it started—easily, and with fairly good results, and that Claire can adjust to being on her own. Hopefully her independent spirit resurfaces quickly!

Ben, All Ready to go! (Really glad I got a smile out of him today!)

Claire had to have a picture too!