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Tuesday my oldest boys started back to school. I played with the Entertainer and Lilly, took a nap, watched What Not to Wear, had my normal 3 cups of coffee, and started experiencing the strangest tingling sensation in my arms and feet.

By Wednesday, these feelings had increased.

On Thursday, I began to think I might be dying.

It wasn't until Friday that I was able to identify the inexplicable oddness that was now pulsing through my entire nervous system. It was energy.

Daily Happenings...

This week, my boys started school.

The Captain nervously headed off to second grade. He head-nodded every kid as he walked down the hall and they all said, "Hi Captain!" "Hey Captain!" all the way to class. He didn't want me to leave his class, and I reminded him of the tiny heart I'd kissed and given him to keep in his pocket, just incase he needed me. (He'd kissed one for my pocket too, without lipstick.)

But I guess when you have the youngest, blondest, prettiest teacher in school, things work out pretty well for you. When he got home, he kept asking how many more hours until he could go back. By dinner time he was dancing around the kitchen, singing, "only 14 more hours till school starts, only 14 more hours!" And when I tucked him into bed, he handed me a tiny pink card covered in hearts that he had made for his teacher. It said, "I like you, love the Captain." He made sure that was in his pocket when he left for school today. So cute!

The Adventurer has been a little cooler about the whole idea of Kindergarten. After a day of class and the joy of only a very short nap-time at school, I thought he'd be happier about returning. Just before bedtime he told daddy, "My teacher spends WAY to much money on us!" Daddy asked, "what do you mean?" "Well, she takes us all out for breakfast AND lunch at the cafeteria!" Once we explained that Mrs. wasn't paying, he was more comfortable with the situation. It might be a couple more days before he starts writing love notes.

The Entertainer came home with me and Lily. He sat down at the counter, and I asked him if he wanted to learn how to read. He said, "Yes!" So I wrote down some words on flashcards. That was yesterday at lunch time. Today at lunch time, he had memorized 26 flashcards. So far he can read: Car, tomato, banana, cup, yogurt, spoon, melon, baby, Mommy, Entertainer, bed, animals, blanket, pillow, rug, violin, toothbrush, toothpaste, ect. I would pat myself on the back and say that I finally cracked the "reading" code, but instead I'm pretty sure that he is just a genius. I asked if he was, but he said, "no mommy, I'm just a normal kid." (Ya, because all the kids I know who just turned three can decipher between "genius" and "normal"...) Today he'd only take a nap because I told him I'd teach him how to play the violin when he woke up.

Lilly learned to bark like a dog today. Hey- that's pretty impressive for a 13 mo old, right? She also started saying: Get up, Let's go, bye-bye, please, drink, stinky, and of course, cookie. There are several more she's learned, but let's face it, that covers most of her bases. She has also mastered the art of chasing her brothers around the house with her little baby-walker. Which is pretty darn adorable.

Another summer passed, another school year begun, I am so proud to see my little ones springing up!

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There is a lizard who visits us for dinner every night. Last night we had the most awesome Eggplant Parmesan I've ever made. Sure enough, about half way through dinner, he was peeking in the window, and the Adventurer saw him. "Hey look, I think he is hungry for some...." there was a long pause while he scaned the eggplant and garlic bread. "Ummmm... maybe he just likes the way the table looks."

While I was stifling laughter on the outside, I was very proud of my 5-year-old little man.