Today is AJ�s last day of school before vacation. I�ll be going in early to help at his class party. Apparently I�ve been assigned to help them trace their hands and feet to make reindeer faces with (the footprints for the head, the handprints for the antlers). I�m kind of relieved to be on such a project, actually, as I spent most of this morning realizing that I am quite possibly raising a total geek. So far today, AJ has beat me in a game of chess, read a book about Mars to me and spent a good 45 minutes playing games with his calculator. Maybe Santa will bring him a little pocket protector for his stocking.

Yes, I was roundly beaten in chess by my five-year-old. I actually suspect this has at least as much to do with my less than stellar chess skills as to AJ�s rapidly developing expertise. Still, he was extremely excited about the whole thing (although that may be because he really likes to knock the king over). The thing is, while I�ve always found a kind of aesthetic pleasure in the game, of the tactile process of moving the pieces around the board, I�ve never been particularly interested in the strategy. AJ, however, is totally turned on by the strategy. And he�s mostly figuring it out himself, because God knows I�m not equipped to teach him. I�m trying, though. And I�m having fun with it, even though I suck. AJ�s been so into the game that we�ve started playing every morning after breakfast, which is making me feel like an aging Russian countess or something. It seems like a good pastime for winter. He�s still five, though: after the game is over, he always wants to play �the game where the pieces talk to each other.�

Fortunately for his social life, AJ�s interests are wide-ranging. He�s at least as interested in basketball and is now playing in a kindergarten league. I personally find it insane that there is a kindergarten basketball league at all. I also find it surprising that in our teeny town there are 8 teams in said kindergarten league. I find it totally shocking that most of them can actually play. A lot of the credit goes to the league, which is fantastically well run, and AJ�s coach who has an outstanding demeanor with the kids. He keeps it fun, keeps them busy, changes activities often, and really helps them, one-on-one, to improve. It�s a stark contrast to AJ�s T-ball experience this summer. Or, more accurately, it�s a stark contrast to my experience with AJ�s T-ball team � AJ had a great time anyway. What�s not to love about baseball, says AJ.

And now I must take advantage of the last few daytime AJ-free minutes before Christmas to do some wrapping. I may be out of commission for a couple of days. Tomorrow morning we head downtown for an overnight to see the lights and the skaters and stay in AJ�s favorite hotel, the one with the giant window seats, the one where they bring you a goldfish for your room if you ask them to. It�s supposed to rain, but AJ�s hoping for snow. �You never know, Mommy,� he says when I express skepticism about a white Christmas, �it is Christmas.�

7 people said it like they meant it