This is a story that Isaac doesn't know I know about. He told Bianca and she told me, so sshhh!

Isaac going to kindergarten has been a big deal for a whole host of reasons, but one of which is his ability to interact with other kids in a long, consistent fashion.  He is slowly coming to learn that the entire world isn't like his house.  In some ways he is disappointed and others he wishes we were a bit like other houses.  

In particular he has friend named Benjamin.  Isaac has always liked Benjamin from the first minute he met him.  They are both talkative, a little small for their age, and very sensitive kids.  But recently we learned he liked Benjamin for another reason--vanilla scented stuffed animals.  

Last night, as he was going to bed, Isaac told Bianca that he wished that he could give Benjamin his stuffed animals to take home for the night.  Bianca asked why and Isaac told her it was because all of his stuffed animals smelled like vanilla.  So in Isaac's mind, not only is Benjamin an awesome kid, but his mere presence makes stuffed animals smell amazing.  We didn't have the heart to tell him that Benjamin's Mom probably sprays Benjamin's stuffed animals with Fabreeze.  Either that or Benjamin's X-Men ability is to confer wonderful odors on stuffed animals.  Not as awesome as Wolverine's healing factor, but hey, no one wants stinky stuffed animals.

No not that throne.  The Bouncer is Ethan's throne, his favorite location, and his drooling, gumming command center.  If he is not being carried in the Bjorn, which I am wearing as I write this even though Ethan's been in bed for a hour, he is in the Bouncer.  I think he loves it more than Isaac did, though boys both liked it a lot.  Here is a good sample of some Bouncer action with King Ethan:

Isaac has finished a week and a half of Kindergarten and, thus far, it couldn't be going better.  He loves his teacher, the legendary Sister Irene.  He likes learning.  He brings home lessons, like "C" sounds in words and Sister Irene's philosophy "the secret to learning is listen."  And he told us last Thursday and Friday that he was sad for the weekend.  

As the event planner and family entertainer I took that as a bit of a slight.  Not really, I love the fact that he loves school, but still. After the weekend he conceded that he had fun, but that he really does like school.  Pretty darn awesome.

Then this week we start getting over the honeymoon phase.  Isaac told us a story a dinner, with hand gestures and facial features and emphatic adverbs (REALLY!) about Sister Irene disciplining a kid.  Or at least what counts as disciplining a kid in Isaac's hyper sensitive, five year old brain.  We also learned about all of his classmate's issues, or at least what that do that is a pet peeve of Isaacs.  We learned about the kid that sniffles a lot and the kid that doesn't listen.  We learned about the kid that distracted him at lunch and prevented him from eating (though that sounded a bit like a cock and bull story--Isaac's not what we call an aggressive and focused eater to begin with, unless it is nacho cheesy chips).  

Everyday we learn a little bit more about Isaac learning and it is a wonderful experience.  I couldn't be happier with how St. Bernards is working out and I now know why people want to canonize Sister Irene.