AJ took his very first field trip yesterday. I signed the permission slip for him on Wednesday and remembered the scores of similar slips my mother had signed for me. Trips to museums and zoos, swimming pools and theaters. AJ�s destination? A mailbox three blocks from the school. They learned about mail and the post office last week. AJ made a small paper mail bag that he filled with pretend letters to me. He also made a paper mail hat that he would not deign to wear. �It makes my ears hurt.� He is not one to be oppressed by the strictures of the uniform.

Contrary to AJ�s retrospective opinion, the kids were extremely excited about their trip when I dropped AJ off at school yesterday morning. They had written letters home in the previous class and they were going to mail them. They had to find a buddy. AJ and his friend N. chose each other. �We didn�t just get to walk behind our buddy. We got to hold hands.� Said AJ. And so he and N. held hands for three blocks. When they arrived at the mailbox, they apparently sat down on the grass � it was at this point that my husband rode by on his bicycle, quite by accident, he swears. I was jealous. I would have liked to see the parade of four-year-olds.

On the way back, AJ informed me that the most exciting moment was when N. fell into a puddle. �Oh, no!� I exclaimed. �It�s okay, Mommy. He didn�t mean to. He was okay,� AJ reassured me.

Last night as I was tucking AJ into bed he asked, �Could we talk about my field trip?�

�What do you want to talk about?�

�Well, it wasn�t as exciting as I thought it would be.�

�Why not?�

�Well, we didn�t go in a school bus. And the mailbox wasn�t very exciting.�

�That�s too bad. Where would you have liked to go instead?�

�I don�t know. Maybe Saturn.�

�Me too, AJ, me too.�

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