"...but I like it."

Dangerboy, after a long sweet summer, has at long last started preschool! Whoopee! We have switched preschools to a smaller one run by a woman from our ward. It's been a bittersweet adjustment, but DB is enjoying himself. He was definitely ready!

Dangerboy has, little by little, been learning how to read and spell. We've been enjoying the signs he's made for posting around the house, including "Clozd" and "No Bab" (no babies). If we push too much to get him to read to us, he pushes back, but when he's in the mood he's actually getting quite skillful. He likes silly words so far, sound effect words: "flop," "zap," boom," stuff like that. "Poop." You know, the useful stuff.

He's also developed a taste for rock and roll. Unfortunately for me, "rock and roll" for him means anything with a male vocalist and distortion guitar. Oh, and it has to be upbeat--ballads don't count. His favorite song lately, next to "Twinkle Twinkle" is "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne. And when we're in the car, nothing but his flavor of rock and roll will do--no Dave Matthews Band, no Beatles, no Elvis. These things are not rock and roll. When he finally listens to the good stuff, he scrunches down in his seat, gets a wild look in his eye, juts out his jaw and wiggles it back and forth. Sometimes a little air guitar. Who do you think he got this from--me or PDaniel? I have my theories. His dad has taught him to finish the phrase, "Hey, it's only rock and roll..."DB's still been a little lonely, but I've started back to work, so with some time with babysitters' kids, and school time, I think he's feeling better about life!
Plus, his friend Kasey came back from Japan (OK, like a month ago). Kasey lives a few doors down from us, his parents are fun, and his mom's Japanese so I can practice my Nihongo with her. Kasey is two years older than DB, but they still have fun running around together--their fun being fueled mainly by a mutual interest in bugs. We're so glad Kasey's family is here--at least for couple more months!