Time is passing much more slowly now that teaching is finished. I spent the two hours AJ was at preschool doing battle with the clutter and filth that had accumulated in and around my desk during the last couple of crazy weeks. Although the chaos has not yet been completely transformed to order, it at least smells better down here and there are no longer piles of dead bugs in the corner of the room (one of the perils of working in a basement).

AJ and I spent a good part of the afternoon at my own personal hell, also known as Mcd�s Playplace. We were accompanied by his friend D. and D�s mom and little brother. It was relatively pleasant, more so than I would have expected. The three boys had a riotous time together. They tore around the place screaming, ran laps, tackled each other, came down the slides in a pile and generally acted like boys. Lunch was also an adventure and included much burping and giggling and discussion of bodily functions. I must admit that I wasn�t quite up for slogging through German philosophy after that, which had been my intended pastime during AJ�s nap. Instead, I puttered around my office some more and tried to figure out why one of my desk drawers won�t close � a problem that remains mysterious and unresolved.

At dinner tonight, AJ and his dad were playing a game where AJ would provide some key pieces of information and his dad would tell him a story using AJ�s suggestions. My husband first asked, �Name something you like to do.� �Paint!� yelled AJ immediately, as he had completed a rather racy watercolor portrait of Spongebob Squarepants� friend Sandy Cheeks right before dinner.

�Name a place.�

�New York City!�

�Now I need someone�s first name.� AJ thought long and hard about this one. �Hmmm,� he said while thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Then he got a glint in his eye. �I think it could be my name. Which is AJ.� That last part sounded like an afterthought, as if he wasn�t entirely sure if we knew his name (in reality, he used the formal version of his name, which we don�t actually use that often). Needless to say, this convulsed both my husband and I with laughter. AJ looked puzzled at first to hear us roaring, but he soon joined in. Because laughing is its own reward. It�s not always necessary to understand the joke.

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