Summer pictures

Learning to use a fire hose at a town fair

Fireman Aaron

Talking while driving.  He is Alan Starr's grandson, after all

Our visit to the shore included trying new candies, ice cream every night, a visit to the Cape May Lighthouse, a trip to the Cape May Zoo and lots of beach time.

 

We went to Massachusetts for my mom's 65th birthday and spent a morning with cousins Reuben and Alessandra.  I love this picture.

I wish my ride was this comfy

Questions

I know, two months.  I owe some pictures.  They are coming in the next post.  I have no excuse outside of being distracted by this little boy who lives in my house.  He just has so many questions that need immediate answers!  Where is my green car?  No, the other green car!  Why do you have to work?  Why are there wars?  Are we still at war with Germany?  This last one is in the context of his many recent questions about WWII. 

A few nights ago, Aaron, Mike and I were reading a book called "Rosie's Family", which is a very well done book for preschoolers about adoption.  The gist is that Rosie, a small spaniel type of dog, is the daughter in a family of schnauzers.  She knows she was adopted, but sometimes she has questions and feels confused.  The book does a nice job of explaining "birth parents" and "parents" and that her schnauzer mom and dad are her parents.  At the end of the book is a page of questions and answers for parents of adopted kids.  
     Aaron: What does it say on this page?
     Me: It's stuff for grown-ups that doesn't get read out loud.
     Aaron: Like what kind of stuff?
     Me: questions
     Mike: Aaron, do you have any questions for us?
     Aaron: Well, I do have an interesting question.
     Mike and I leaned forward anticipating what was likely to be a very serious adoption question.
     Aaron: Why are kids' feet so much smaller than grown-ups' feet?

Phew!!  I can TOTALLY answer that one.  I would look ridiculous with toddler sized feet.  Done!  I chuckled about this all day monday, until he came home from pre-K looking forlorn.  I asked what was up.

     Aaron: I'm just a little bit sad.
     Me: About what?
     Aaron: I'm a little bit sad about my parents in Vietnam.  I really miss them.
     Me: burst into tears.

I feel not unlike the Bush administration on 9/11.  I knew this was coming eventually.  I had a lot of intelligence in the form of books and internet information.  The boundaries were being pushed.  But on the day of the event, I was caught totally unprepared.   Aaron has only mentioned it once since Monday night but it took him a good hour to recover.  I'm still working on it. 

"Dress like mom or dad day" at school today