Remembering Some of March

At the end of March I realized it was quite a month and I'd better write some things down or I'd forget about it all. Well, it's mid-April now and I'd say much is forgotten. But here's a few things just to jog our memories.

Ethan had a big month. After placing first in the 4th grade science fair at his school, he went on to the District Science Fair. The irony was that I was less-than-thrilled about his topic choice and experiment (too many variables - not enough control) but then he won. That'll teach me. I think the key was that it was totally Ethan's idea and he carried it out with simple guidance from me.


Ethan also graduated to a GOLD belt at Kung Fu (3rd level). Though that was exciting, it's not enough to keep him happy about going to Kung Fu class several days a week. So he's started with (gasp!) swim team. Eliza is going to swim too. I'm a bit anxious about the time we will be spending at the pool, but we feel that Ethan needs a change-up in terms of his activity of choice. I think Kung Fu has moved to the groan and hardly bear it list, so swimming it is!

I spent many hours in March and into April sewing costumes for my friend, Sarah. She is finishing up her Masters Thesis in Choreography at Mills College. I was dancing in her thesis for a few weeks last fall until I discovered that I was pregnant, so I switched to the role of costumer. Now that the costumes are done, I can say it was a pleasure. I just had to get past that 2/3 finished point that always kills my enthusiasm. Eliza spent a lot of time under my sewing table, creating her own masterpieces.


Ethan had a birthday at the end of March. We celebrated the week before with family and friends and Ethan's favorite dinner of homemade macaroni and cheese. The kids wanted to decorate so here's a photo of Ethan and Ben working TOGETHER to hang streamers in the kitchen. Ethan's actual birthday was spent in Virginia.


Ben is trying new meds - looking for a magic "chill pill." We're starting with ADHD drugs. It's funny, I don't really think of him as hyperactive but he totally is. We're just so accustomed to it! The truth is he can be very focused and very sedentary. But, Ben is a boy of extremes. Either he is in one place or he is everywhere. Either he is content and happy or he is freaking out about every little thing. So it will be a long process of trying a variety of meds until we find the right fit, but we hope it will be worth it!

Ben also loved tagging along to his big brother's basketball lessons at the YMCA. The 2nd court was open and the baskets nice and low. There was a lot of drama about sharing the basket with other kids, but we survived and he held himself together on most days. Let's just say he takes every phase of child development to the EXTREME. For a few months it's been an extreme case of I must be first and I must win.