When Chris comes home, he plays his podcasts while he cooks; I take Karenna to ballet/tap, apprentice ballet, or modern--depending upon what night it is; and Jude hangs out doing whatever it is Jude does.

Recently, Jude has been ding any of the following:

• dressing in costume,
• playing with his stuffed animals,
• playing DS,
• playing action figures,
• playing lightsabers,
  
• drawing,
• writing his letters,
• usign fridge magnets to try to make words (which often requires our help--"How do you spell 'Spiderman'?"), or
• any combination of the above.

The other day I found one of Jude's notebooks on the living room floor with some letters on it: "B,A,N,D, and W" in very large print, and on the next line, "I,D,T, and H".  I thought nothing much of it until I set the table the next day with Chris and I turned off his podcast--I cannot handle background noise.  Here's what he said:

So Jude came in while I was cooking and Jude came up to me.  "Daddy," he said, "How do you spell 'Bandwidth'?"

"Where did you hear that word buddy?" I asked him.

He pointed to my iPod.

(It was a TWiT.TV podcast.)

We were on our way home from daycare/pre-K yesterday when Jude asked us about his old preschool.

Jude: Mom, Dad, home come you never take me to visit my old school?
Me (always teasing): Because it's filled with fishes.
Jude: No it isn't.
Me: Okay, I'm just kidding. It's filled with ice cream and hot fudge.
Jude (getting upset): No, Mom, it is not. It is filled with cereal and lunch and learning!

Karenna does.

I was knee-deep in laundry.  Karenna had to eat a late dinner after ballet, so I kept her company.  Chris said he was going to put away some laundry.  There was a basket of his clothes and a basket of kids' laundry

At this point I must admit to being a recovering control-freak.  Or I'd like to think of myself as one, anyway.  There are still some things I can't let go.  And when I try to tell Chris he needs let go, he can zero in exactly which things of which I haven't been able to relinquish my control.  Like picking home decor.  Or putting away the kids' laundry (I have a system; I need to be able to find things.)

So as Chris started to walk away with a basket I said in terror, "Noooo! You're not going to put away the kids' laundry!"

He pretended to act innocent but had a devilish grin on his face and said, "But I'm helping you,"  then scampered off.  I could see a basked in his hand.  I tried calling to him, but it was futile.  I was torn between leaving my daughter to eat he dinner without someone to talk to and stopping him from this heresy.

Of course I chose quality time with my daughter, but sensing the disturbed look on my face, Karenna put her little hand on mine, looked me in the eye and said, "You know he's only kidding you, right?"

(He took his own basket back and left the kids' basket for me, just like I like it.)

Jude's Stuffed Animals

• Fat Cat: borrowed from Karenna, a plump cat stuffed animal, of course
  
• Blue Bear: a blue teddy bear, obviously
  
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood of the Prince Yoshi Warrior Wario Bowser: his favorite, a stuffed pastel yellow and blue horse
• Horse-Horse: his most recent interest, a baby-blue duck
  

Jude keeps a running list of the video games, movies and TV shows he's not allowed to play and/or watch.  How does he know these items exist?  (It's not like we have cable.)  Some are things he knows because a friend mentions them, like The Dark Knight.  Others are things he knows from older relatives (his sister, his cousin, his dad, etc.), like  Star Wars Episode III.

And then there are the ones we pause when he wakes up from nap, like Heroes...

Jude: What are you watching?
Me: A scary show. It's paused now.
Jude (authoritatively): Are you watching Scary Heroes again?
Me: Yes. But I paused it now that you are awake and it's off now so we can watch one of your shows...
Jude (noticing his favorite stuffed animal, a stuffed horse with a very long name): Is that my Harry Potter and the Half Blood of the Prince Yoshi Warrior Wario Bowser?

[According to Jude, Harry Potter and the Half Blood of the Prince Yoshi Warrior Wario Bowser, or Harry Potter for short is five years old and no longer takes naps, so he does not always end up in Jude's bed during nap time.   He does, however, go with him just about everywhere else, including the dinner table and to bed at night.]

Me: Oh... Yes it is.
Jude: He's only five! He's not allowed to watch Scary Heroes.  He will have nightmares now!  (Breathing heavy and sounding frustrated as he looks me in the eyes before walking away.) I am so disappointed in you, Mom.

Karenna had a sleepover last night.  Jude was trying to play with the girls, but was beginning to feel left out.

Finally, he got frustrated, and as he walked out said, "You guys are not being nice to me and I am just going to go to my room. Ciao!"

(Repeated emphatic door slamming followed.)

In 2007, Jude and his cousin wanted Darth Vader and Spiderman.  In 2008, Jude, Karenna, and I did Batman, the Joker, and a few little friends.

This year Jude wanted X-Men for Halloween, so Karenna picked Rogue, while Jude and I worked on a two-sided pumpkin with Wolverine and Cyclops on it...