IT'S OFFICIAL

Aidan is officially registered for kindergarten. The event itself was somewhat anticlimatic. I've spent the past week trying to psych him up for registration at every opportunity. In fact, it only entailed sitting down to fill out an emergency contact form, confirming that we have insurance, and forking over $538 for activities and meals. He was more interested in the soda machines he could see just outside the cafeteria doors and strategizing a way to convince me to buy a Wild Cherry Pepsi.

We checked his class roster to see which of his buddies he would be with. The only ones we recognized were two girl friends and a boy he made friends with at summer school. In the long run, I'm sure we (meaning Brian and I) will be glad that is the case. He'll be able to make new friends and will probably not get in as much trouble early on. But my heart did sink just a little to see that all of his best buddies were in other classes. Also noted on the roster: they spelled his name wrong AGAIN. I've only corrected it at every opportunity...pre-registration, kindergarten round-up, summer school. I ordered him a backpack with his name embroidered on it so that maybe, after having to look at it every day, the academians might grasp that it is spelled with an "a" instead of an "e."

In other academic news: Aidan woke up one day this week able to read. I don't know where it has come from (although I'm certain it somehow relates to our superior parenting skills), but he's reading like crazy. At first, I thought he was just picking up sight words or reading familiar books from memory. But on Monday, he asked me when he and Preston had to clean up the play room. When I asked why he wanted to know, he pointed out that the dry erase board said "boys to clean up play room." I had written it there for the babysitter who was coming that afternoon. Instead of feeling sorry for him because he won't be with his friends at school, perhaps I should concentrate my sympathy on his teacher. She'll have her work cut out for her keeping him challenged.