Success

The first day of school couldn't have gone better. I arrived half an hour early to pick Sidamo up, not realizing the half-day kids are fed lunch before going home—and good thing, because I got there just as they were about to serve him pasta with meat sauce (he's vegetarian). When I walked into the classroom, I saw all the kids sitting around tables with their meals in front of them, but I didn't see Sidamo. I found his teacher and asked where he was, and she brought me to the sink area in the back of the room. He was there scrubbing the counter tops with a wet paper towel. I said to the teacher, "He really likes to clean." She said, "Yeah, I figured. That's the second time he's cleaned this area today."

It's true, he does love to clean, and I take advantage of it. Nothing makes him happier than a wet rag, and nothing makes me happier than clean baseboards that I didn't have to touch. I think I sometimes expect a little too much of him in the cleaning realm, though. He is only two-and-a-half, after all, and he's not overly blessed with what we taller people consider common sense. This morning, for instance, I was scrubbing the floors (no, not a common occurrence), and there were some leaves and other miscellaneous garden debris that had been tracked in. To keep him occupied, and to keep me from having to vacuum, I picked up the pieces of trash one at a time and asked him to throw them away. All was going well, or so I thought, until as he was toddling off with the third or so piece I heard him utter, "That's spicy!" Mom of the Year award?

Anyway, back to school. The teacher interrupted Sidamo from his scrubbing and said, "Look who's here, Sidamo!" I think we both expected a better reaction than a blank stare and the question, "Where's Daddy?" Oh well. I pried him away from his janitorial duties, and the two of us went to a place called Steve's Snappin' Dogs for veggie dogs and a chocolate shake to celebrate (thanks for the recommendation, Maia!). Here's a video of him singing a little Marley while stuffing his face.

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And some still shots:

Big boys take big bites.

I meant for this shake to be mine, but after he smeared mustard all over it (I detest mustard), it was all his. I'm in trouble now that he knows that trick.

A man who might have been Snappin' Steve gave Sidamo a balloon animal after the meal was done. I asked, "Sidamo, do you know what kind of animal this is?" Correct answer would have been dog. Sidamo's answer: dromedary.