Pumpkin huntin'

I went on my first field trip with Caitlin's kindergarten today. Lots of fun! We went rode on a yellow school bus (Caitlin's first trip on one), went to a pumpkin farm, sought and captured a pumpkin, jumped in the Jumpy Castle (Caitlin only - I just got to watch enviously), petted assorted farm animals and ran around the straw-bale maze.

Pumpkin as shield.
Triumphant pumpkin picking display.
In the Jumpy Castle with icky boys:
Straw-bale maze with M.
The "icky boy" comment was based on listening to the lot of them hollering about how "Girls are babies!" and the girls responding that "Boys are babies!". This learned and in-depth conversation continued for some time until I threatened to kick them all out of the JC if they couldn't be nice to one another. I even trotted out ye old, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything!" comment. I felt decidedly old when I pulled that one out of the Mom Command List. Felt bad about it, but it was lots better than a few choice words about male/female relations and sex-segregated play and my objection to deriding others simply based on sex. That would've been way too much for 5 years, dontcha think?

Maybe next year!

It really bothers me how they deliberately break down into separate groups and want nothing to do with one another. It really bothers me to see Caitlin give in to it and continue it. It also saddened me when Caitlin got upset that her friend didn't want to sit with Caitlin on the ride back. I tried to cheer Caitlin up by chewing on her instead. Short term distraction, but she enjoyed it! Life is full of bumps, not everyone likes her even though she is eminently likeable and she's no longer the sole rock star of the classroom. It's gotta hurt a poor kid's ego! However, she keeps going back and tells me how this one or that one is her BFF (Best Friends Forever), or at least until the next one comes along. Fortunately they are all at the age where it's OK to have multiple best friends and can share reigning BFF titles. Everyone is her best friend, some are just more bestest than others.

I'd like to say that I'm past the petty jealously of other best friends, but my internal 13 year old isn't. I have lots of women I claim as my best friends, but I don't announce it to the others because I don't want their internal 13 year olds to feel diminished. I know! I know! That's silly, isn't it? I'm trying to preserve the feelings of suspected inner 13 year olds, but that's just how I am. I've lost lots of best friends over the years, I think I use them up or something, so I try to hold the newest ones gentler.

I'm still getting used to being a good friend. It takes years and years of practice but I figure, I've got time!