I am grumpy and tired today for no particular reason other than that I�ve been busier than I like and AJ has been talking a blue streak. I don�t do well with that much talking from anyone, no matter how interesting. I�m looking forward to a quiet train ride plugged into my computer on headphones tomorrow. I need a little less talking, a little more quiet. I�m hoping I am feeling less grumpy before I have to meet with students about their final papers tomorrow.

This morning AJ and I got out early to do our final (I hope) Thanksgiving shopping, save the turkey, which we�ll pick up from the butcher on Wednesday. We stocked up on produce and cream and assorted cheeses and olives to serve our guests. We also picked up a gingerbread house kit for AJ � it�s our post-Thanksgiving tradition. I love that AJ is so excited about it again this year.

This afternoon I took AJ to his gym to play for an hour or so with his friend D. The scene was at least as crowded and crazy as the museum yesterday, but it couldn�t have been more different. The kids were polite and friendly. They helped each other on equipment. The parents supervised and made sure the few incidents of misbehavior were dealt with appropriately. It was night and day. I found this interesting. Part of the difference is certainly due to the fact that the kids in attendance mostly come to the gym regularly for classes where there are rules that need to be followed. Still, it was reassuring. Towards the end of the session, most of the kids had gotten involved in a mammoth building project where they took foam blocks out of the jumping pit and stacked them into walls around the pits perimeter. The walls were five feet tall and probably 25 feet long � an impressive edifice built by kids of all ages who didn�t, for the most part, know each other. I was alternately proud of them and a little afraid of their ability to efficiently organized � the Lord of the Flies potential was obvious. The building, however, was not so efficient. It was totally destroyed by a one-year-old with angelic blonde ringlets � the Big Bad Wolf disguised in a blue velour romper embroidered with daisies. She shyly toddled up to the wall, paused to see if anyone had noticed (no one had) and then hurled her body through the center of the wall shrieking with delight as she tumbled into the pit.

AJ was dragging by the time we were ready to leave. And after an afternoon spent trying to keep him entertained without the help of a couple of hours of kindergarten, I�m dragging too. But there are miles to go before I sleep.

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