Weekend Recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

A day late because I wanted Emily's Birthday post to have a day to itself. So, overall a nice, relaxing weekend, which was good because Emily was getting over her ear infection, and Kim caught the same cold I am recovering from. James continues to surprise me. And a realization about something we have to do differently for James.

Yes it was a house full of grumpy sick folks. Emily was better after a day of rest on Thursday and gradually more rest over the weekend. Then poor Kim caught the cold, and I thought I was past it, only to have it hit me with one final blow. But we are all getting better, last night everyone stayed in their own beds the whole night, and everyone got a decent nights rest.

So James has a pretty good amount of money in the bank that he can spend, from birthday's, Christmas, chores, Easter etc. So on Saturday we went to the store to pick up a present for his friend's birthday party, and I told James that he could spend some of that money, and he has enough to get pretty much anything he saw in the toy area. But he chose not to buy anything, he said he wanted to keep saving! This from a 7 year old! It's just odd I don't know where he gets it from. Kim & I are generally pretty frugal, but we're not cheap by any stretch. Now there may have been some confusion in his mind, he thought he had to have the money with him, the next day when I explained that we could buy what he wanted, and then transfer the money out of his bank account he was a little more willing to spend, but still only a little, preferring to save the better amount of his money.

On Sunday James and Daniel went to a friend's birthday party, where they appeared to have fun. But afterwards we got treated to another of James' fits of complaining that no one wants to play with him or do what he wants to do. And it got me thinking, Kim & I are just going to have put forth more effort towards having James' school friends over to the house, and his going to their houses. Because while he is good for short spurts with other kids, he tends to get to this point where he wants to do something, and they don't. So I think that what is needed is just some more time one on one with the other kids, away from the comfort zone of family and Jon Del. So he will learn the all important skills of give and take when playing with other kids.