Random

- Jack can sit down and turn a blank page into one with a dozen colorful characters and creative spelling with ease. Kate sits down and makes faces with broad smiles; recently she started using multiple colors.

- Jack got his first team baseball cap Saturday, with a "P" on it for his team, Pasquale's. (Italian restaurant.) My first baseball cap ALSO had a P on it...not sure whether it was for "Perkinsville" or "Pirates." He wore it proudly to a birthday party that afternoon, handing it to me 5 minutes in so he could run around without it falling off.

- I'm learning to tie my own shoes righthanded so I will be able to teach Jack how to tie his.

- Kate's teacher tells us that Kate is the social butterfly during "free play," asking everyone, "And what did you do this weekend? And what did YOU do? I played with my brother...."

- At the party yesterday, his little friend Kinsey handed me a sealed envelope to give to Jack. We opened it later; it had a piece of wrapped candy and a note from Kinsey. "Dear Jack. You are my best friend. Next time let's have a play date!" Sweet.

- Then later, talking to Kinsey's Mom (before I opened the note), she said, Kinsey says Jack helps him with his work at school....he says he's a great friend to him. Really? I said. I asked Jack about it later. Jack tried to remember. "Hmmm. Once he didn't know what 8 plus 8 was. And I told him it was 16." That's great, Jack.