This is not your father's schoolyard bully...

I was working in Chas' classroom today when he came in from recess, approached me and said, "I need to get plenty of sleep tonight. You know that girl Elora from Eddie's class? She's going to try to beat me up tomorrow."

The student teacher overheard it all and said yesterday the little girl was trying to kiss Chas. Now she says she's going to beat him up. It's apparently some game the kids play. But it's not a game to Chas. His teacher asked him about it and he said he thinks it's real. I coached him -- just in case -- on not hitting, just using his arms to protect his face and running to an adult. "OK, but my first option is to run and hide," he said.

After school, the neighbor kid came over and told me, "Elora's going to beat up Chas tomorrow."

His teacher is on it and I'm sure the playground "doodies" as they seem to call the aids or "duties" will be all over it, too. But I think Chas is a little nervous. And I'm trying to get my head around the fact that my boy's first real bully is a sweet-looking little girl.

Lucky Number 7

Today we survived the boys' 7th birthday party. I use the word "survived" advisedly. We all have colds. And a new puppy named Peach. All of this combines to make for an exhausted, sleep-deprived family. Nothing like hosting 20 kids when you're ready to drop to make you feel you're alive. Because if you were dead, you wouldn't feel so horrible.
OK, it wasn't quite that bad. I didn't actually feel tired until it was over. The kids had a blast, got way too many toys and made a total mess of the game room. Life is good.