Jack lost another tooth today. He already has his bottom two permanent teeth so I assumed the top two would go next. Oddly, it was the tooth next to the top front two.

He did it while biting into a strawberry. He bled and he cried. And once again, he was scared of the tooth fairy flying into his window. Last time we gave him a roll of coins to put in his piggy bank, but even the lure of money couldn’t abate his fears.

This time I decided to try an old trick that my father used to do to me. When the tooth fairy visited our house, it was never as simple as just waking up to money under your pillow.

Elaborate ruses were concocted. One time he wrapped all my money in a box, then a bigger box, then a bigger box and well, you get the idea. Often I would have to follow a trail of clues. Once he ended the search with my money in a jar at the bottom of the pool. I had to get my bathing suit on and jump in for it.

So last night, after he was safely tucked away in his bed, I decided to make my own treasure hunt for him. I photocopied a drawing of our upstairs floor plan and then used a red crayon to mark the different places he’d have to search for clues. For example, one led to the dining room table. The clue was taped under it.

Finally he found the money with the last clue. He loved it so much he wanted to put all the clues back so he could share them them with his friends!

Prices went up since the Tooth Fairy Visited Me!!!

Watching the Cows get Milked

Thursday was one of those days were I tried to do too much and as a result felt like a failure at everything.

I was planning on meeting my friends Hedy and Elissa at the Nature Museum. I knew that Jack had a school field trip planned that day at the farm. But in truth, I couldn’t help chaperone because I couldn’t walk the long walk, and with Ben it’s very hard to watch even one other kid, much less a group. I was worried I would be more trouble then help. So I decided not to go.

But in the morning, Jack asked if I was going. Then he asked Ben if he wanted to go. Ben said over and over again all morning, “Yeah! yeah! I want to go to the farm with Jack!”

What should I do? I didn’t want to disappoint Jack and Ben. But I wanted to meet my friends too!

I decided to go meet Hedy and Elissa first, then meet Jack later. But when I dropped Jack as school the teacher told me she didn’t know how long they would be there and if I was coming later, call first. As I was driving to the Museum, I drove past the class walking on the street. Ugh.

I called Hedy and rearranged, I’d go meet Jack first then meet Hedy and Elissa.

Luckily I found a great spot right outside the farm. Thank goodness I wouldn’t need to walk much. Sometimes when I stand the pressure on my bladder, legs and ligaments is so painful I want to double over in pain.

Hedy and Elissa came by the farm instead of the museum, much to my relief. Very nice of them to change their plans to accommodate me.

Ben jumped in their stroller and Jack ran off with his friends. I knew at this point the teacher had seen me and I was suppose to keep track of him myself. What to do? I was spread too thin.

Picnic Lunch at the Farm

Pretty soon it was lunch time. I set Jack up with lunch, then went back to the car to get mine and Ben’s lunch. I left Ben with other chaperones for just a minute, so I thought. There was a tow truck trying to hook itself to my brand new mini van! I got there just in time to move it to the nearest lot, all of a sudden $14 to park seemed cheap. But it was another walk, now I’ve left both my kids in someone else’s care. I’m sure at this point everyone is resenting me.

Finally Jack’s school decided to head to a near by park after lunch. I got Ben in the car and drove over. Of course, Ben fell asleep in the car. So again had to bother the other chaperones to contact Jack and tell him I couldn’t make it.

Normally when I have a day that doesn’t work out as great as it could have, I try to learn from it and move on. Be more decisive. Know your limits. But with the twins birth looming right around the corner it seems all my emotions and thoughts are magnified.

How will I do all the things I want to and add another two kids onto that?

Jack and Friends on their new school tour

Today we took Jack on a tour of his new school, the one he will start next year for kindergarden.

At the tour we learned there are only 30 openings for kindergarden. Of those 30 slots, 16 were siblings. Siblings get priority under the current system. Fourteen slots were left. There were 1000 people applying for them (another 1000 applied for other grade levels). They call it a lottery system for a reason. Truly, we won the lottery. This school rates very high, with 93% of it’s students meeting and exceeding the state standards. The Great Schools website gives it a 9 out of 10 score, as did Education.com.

We were also very happy to hear that one of his classmates from his current school got in as well. At least he’ll know someone from his old class next year. I think it will make the transition easier.

The school has a fine arts focus. Art, drama, music will all be studied in detail. I wonder how my shy little Jack will fair in the drama department. Because of the focus, things like gym and a second language fall to the wayside. However, I don’t think I would take Jack to art classes after school, but I’ll be sure to sign him up for after school sports. So perhaps this sort of set up works well for our family.

At one point they had the drama students do a 10 minute piece on stage. They were doing Salman Rushdie’s short stories. They looked so big and self assured! I couldn’t fathom Jack going to this school until he looked as big as them.

It was all very exciting to see our future and the future of our other kids laid out in front of us like this.

Emma and I (circa 2005)

Monday I received an email on my old email address, the one I had before I got married. It has me so excited I could barely contain myself.

My good friend Emma, who I met in Shanghai, was in Chicago for a meeting and could she stop by for a visit Wednesday night?

Yes please!

I was introduced to Emma through my gay ex-boyfriend, Stan. Actually, Stan introduced me to Emma’s fiancee at the time, Alan. Through Alan I met Emma. I ended up much better friends with Emma.

Our friendship outlasted many things, including her marriage. When I first moved to Chicago we continued to meet up. First in Jackson Hole. She also came to Chicago. She flew to Marco Island, Florida to witness Adam and I get married. Her signature is on our ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) as a witness.

Shortly after the wedding she made a very tough decision on her life. After waiting over a decade to have children with her husband at the time, she found herself divorced and childless. She was in her late 30s. Her ex-husband has ruined her dreams of a happy marriage, but she didn’t want him to ruin her dreams of children too. She contacted a sperm bank in California. Now she has two beautiful girls around the same age as Jack and Ben.

There is nothing greater than a good friend who ends up having kids the same age as your kids. I am hopeful we can start to meet up again around the globe at some point. I think the twins will keep us from travel in the next few years but eventually meeting up with same age kids will be easy and natural.

I don’t know what is wrong with me lately but I forgot to snap a picture AGAIN! So, I’ve included an old one of us.

Last summer we did a Lil’ Sluggers baseball class over the summer. It was mostly drills, hitting, throwing, catching, running bases. It was fast pace and kept the boys interested for the hour. My girlfriend Pam and I were able to sit on a blanket with our younger children and soak up the summer sun. Coach Jeff was amazing. However, now that the boys are 5, it’s time to move on to real baseball.

We signed him up for Oz Park Baseball which is the start of playing real baseball.

Adam took Jack to a specialty sports store for kids in the suburbs this weekend and kitted him out with new cleats, his first cup, a real baseball glove, baseball sock for sliding, and a semi soft baseball.

He was all ready, equipment wise. However, not sure if he’s quite ready for the sport yet. Here is a picture from his first practice…

I guess it's more important to protect the head than the hand?