February 5, 2017
1) Reading: Not only did I miss posting for several days, but we really weren't reading too much -- just Jamie's homework reading and a little bit of bedtime reading, mostly from What People Do All Day. This weekend, though, we had a reading bonanza. Saturday afternoon we read 2 of the last 3 chapters of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Yesterday morning, we read a chapter from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ("The Boggart in the Wardrobe") and the last chapter of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Alex and I had to keep passing the book back and forth, as first one of us and then the other got all choked up about the children having to say goodbye to Caspian, Reepicheep, etc. In the afternoon, we read the first 2 chapters of The Silver Chair and the first chapter from The House at Pooh Corner, "In Which a House Is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore." At bedtime we read 2 chapters from What People Do All Day, "Building a House," and "Firemen to the Rescue." Jamie loves to comment on the stupidity of Mommy Cat in the latter story. Why doesn't she just pick up the burning shirt and put it in the sink? Why doesn't she go upstairs and get Huckle herself? He made me erase all the places I had penciled in a change from Mommy Cat to Daddy Cat, where I made it look like Daddy Cat was the hysterical, idiotic one and Mommy Cat was the one with the career. Jamie didn't like it that I had changed it and I certainly understand, but I'm not sorry I did it! It also created a good opening for a conversation about these issues.
2) Quote: Last night Jamie made so many references to poop and butts at the dinner table that we sent him to finish his dinner in his room. He didn't like the mushroom quiche we were having for dinner, so I was a bit worried that he would quietly scrape in onto the floor in his room and wait for Puzzle to finish it off later, even though I've never known him to do anything like that. I told him that he had better not do that, and he was deeply insulted and indignant that I would suggest such a thing. I apologized, told him that I do find him to be very honest, and kissed him.
