So there seems to be this bug going around here. I had it really bad last Wednesday and stayed home. I felt good again for a few days, but now it seems to be back in a low-level way. I'm not totally out of commission this time, but I have this constant nauseated feeling. It reminds me of being pregnant, except without any up-side. There are a few things I wanted to share about the weekend, but it's hard to collect my thoughts when I really just want to type: BLAAARGH!

So. Friday night I told the boys that mommy and daddy had dentist appointments the next morning. They were SO excited. You'd think I had just told them to get ready, because we were flying to the moon in the morning!

About a year ago I attempted Henry's first dental checkup, and it was a disaster. So this time I thought he could just come along and observe. That strategy seemed to work pretty well. We watched daddy get his teeth cleaned first, and of course the boys laughed and laughed when he had to spit in the sink. Thomas got real quiet the rest of the time, but Henry was chattering on and on: "look at all the tools! And the machines! She is shining a spotlight right in his mouth!" Thomas and I eventually left to go get my teeth cleaned. But I guess when the dentist came in to check Bill's teeth he was really good with Henry and got him to climb up in the chair and use one of the little mirrors, let the dentist count his teeth, etc.

The dentist himself seems to be really good with Henry. But the hygienist is not so warm and fuzzy. So I'm not sure if we'll try again in 6 months, or just need to find a dentist who specializes in special-needs kids.

Sunday we made it to church (haven't been in a couple weeks), and Henry found a library magazine that he left there last time. A Disney magazine featuring Shaggy Dog. Henry was so funny: "we finally found the magazine! It was at church! The librarians took it to church!" (I explained that, no, we had left it there.)

On the way home we always pass a local ice cream shop. Henry often comments on it, and this time he asked if we could go there. I shut him down on that suggestion. Then he said "my favorite ice cream is strawberry." Thomas piped up "my favorite ice cream is toctlate!" Kate chimed in "and mine is vanilla." There were a few seconds of quiet and then Henry pointed to Bill. "Daddy, where... (pause pause)... why... (pause pause)... what is your favorite ice cream?"

Kristina recently commented: "Henry sounds like he is spontaneously speaking more, and with more original phrases? And understanding more of other people's "theory of mind"?"

I think this ice cream thing is a good example of that. For years he has known about the ice cream shop. And for years he has spontaneously volunteered that his favorite flavor of everything is strawberry. But I've never heard him ask someone else, unprompted- "hey, what's your favorite?" It's pretty cool.

He seems to be doing more pretending, although it's still in a strangely scripted way. Or maybe in a way that would be more appropriate for a much younger child. He likes to pretend to be a snake or the "mean Siamese cats" from L&TT, or a shark... It's always an animal that is attacking something. And he's not real aggressive about it, but he also doesn't let up. He just kind of follows you around- right up on your back, hissing or chomping.

I am mildly concerned that he always seems most interested in the bad guys of every movie or book: the evil queens, mean cats, megazords (I don't know- are they good or bad in Power Rangers? I can't follow that crazy show.)

And he'll say things like "Sid is a mean guy. I will push him over the ledge!" He's using something that happened to another bad guy (like Scar in the Lion King- he ultimately "tumbles over the ledge into the jaws of the waiting hyenas") and wanting to do it to this bad guy. It seems kind of cool that he's sort of making up his own story, and sort of pretending. But I don't want him to think it's ok to push someone over a ledge- even if they are mean. You know?

He and Thomas were playing light-saber fights with some action figures this weekend. Again, I was excited that they were somewhat playing together, but not so sure about the violence aspect. Am I being too uptight? I just worry that Henry won't comprehend the difference between playing and real life.

Oh, so remember when I said I wasn't so much into the basketball tournament? Well I participated in the office pool and picked George Mason to get to the final 4. So I am so far ahead of everyone else that I've already been declared the winner! That's sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Wish this woozy stomach would go away so I could enjoy it.