Everything I Ever Wanted To Know About Life I Learned In Preschool

In keeping with current events (my CQU audit), I discussed with Harry anxiety, and how, in teh words of Mr. Roosevelt, there's nothing to fear but fear itself. He gets stressed. As do I, as displayed in my moments of hyperventilation preceding my audit review. Here's teh thing, as I discussed with Harry:

• Sometimes we do bad things, and we don't get in trouble.
• Sometimes other kids do bad things, and we get in trouble.
• Life is just like that sometimes.

We have been working in recent months on methods of dealing with stress:

• Deep Breathing
• Yoga (Harry does a mean tree pose!)
• Running
• Dancing to music

Harry knows it is important to eat right and to get enough sleep. An apple a day keeps the doctor away is his new saying. I am working on teaching him nothing is ever as bad as we think.

Then there's swim class. Harry got in! He had been on the wait list. He has begged for swim lessons all summer, but we worked on teaching him ourselves at the pool, and now he can swim underwater. But we got in at Chinquapin, and AInsley has class at teh same time. Perfect. The response: I only know how to swim underwater! Well, yeah, that's why we have a class! All you have to do is show up and pay attention. Don't worry about anything else. This is something I have learned how to do fairly well.

I've been thinking about pumpkin patches lately. It's that time of year. I am putting in my off days on the calendar at work. Anyway, last year when Harry was new to Abra, we did our own thing at the patch. He was not comfortable with all of the kids yet. I wonder if it will be different this year? He is certainly different at school. He and his fellow Genies rule the school. The exude confidence. I think sometimes, maybe because I am an only child, I am often more comfortable doing my own thing that assimilating with the group. I think maybe I don't know how to conform as well as other people. Or maybe I do and I am not aware. I get the impression taht Harry feels this way too, based on his behavior and on the comments he makes. It may just be that we are both too introspective. I wish he was footloose and fancy free. Of course, a little anxiety may prove successful. Miss Diana told me today Harry is very particular about his things that he brings to school. She says that's a good thing! Hopefully I can apply the appropriate amount of insight to teach him to deal with his anxieties and use them to his advantage. He is very aware of his surroundings at all times, I think more so than other kids. He's observant.

In many ways, harry is helping me to get to the root of my own anxieties. In a way, I am raising myself. I wonder if Harry and I really are the same, or if I am reading too much into it. So far Ainsley seems more like Kevin. She's mellow. And sweet. Harry is a little more intense...and there is that, not exactly mean streak, but maybe a survivalist mentality. Eat or be eaten.

It does seem easier to raise a child you have insight into. Real or imagined. And it is nice to finally identify with someone, to have someone like me. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE SHOUDL ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN ONE KID! IT SUCKS TO BE AN ONLY CHILD!!!!