A 1st grade graduation present

Yes, I still have to finish the much-belated-long-awaited post about Ash’s birthday party.  Ditto for my medical update, and the bit about his CSE meeting, and, well, a bunch of other stuff.  The thing is, I’m trying to pack, and those updates take longer than I really aught to spend right now.  Trust me, packing isn’t what I’d rather be doing, context aside.  So, in the meantime, you get another quicky post.  It’s a quicky post about my big boy….seven years old, with his 8th tooth wiggly (he wants it to come out NOW so we can warn the Tooth Fairy about the move), and 2nd grade on the horizon in a whole new school.  My big boy, who mastered buttons (before snaps?!), who has started eating peanut butter sandwiches (and who will consume an entire apple, as long as it is cut into four pieces — they can be any shape, but it has to be four), and who thinks it’s silly that I can’t always remember that the puzzle he won at his school carnival has a shape technically called a stellated rhombic dodecahedron.  My big boy, who in the middle of all this chaotic limbo has grown into wanting to sleep with his knight light on, and wanting me to snuggle him to sleep in his castle bed in the first place, “For comfort.”

Did you catch the bit about how he’s moving on to the 2nd grade?  Good, because that’s the context of this post.  Ash did it!  He graduated from another grade, while in an integrated program, in the first try, for the second time!  I am so proud of him!!  And, because I have friends that are lovable dorks and who notice my inquiries to other friends into the existence of coupons which would help me get him certain things as a graduation present, sometimes those graduation presents actually come from someone else.  Someone else who needs to be tackled by the child they blame their impulse on.  *cough*

Ash opens the box.  Not so long ago, he might have had trouble getting to that point before he had finished examining the box.

Ash checks out his new dragon.  He likes that it’s so soft, as well as that it’s shiny and green with glittery gold parts.

Ash notices the strap-on wings.  Build-a-Bear probably did things that way because most of their animals get dressed in little outfits, but since we’re us, Ash learned the word ‘prosthetic’.  Of course, he immediately thought that we should bring his new dragon to the zoo to show the prosthetic wings to the zookeepers and suggest something similar for the one-winged birds that they take care of.  If they are unconvinced, he will make them watch the How To Train Your Dragon movie with him, where, of course, another dragon flies again with the help of a prosthetic half-tail.

Ash is pretty proud of his idea.

Now Ash wants to know about the pendant-style tag on a gold cord around the dragon’s neck.  The tag notes that this is a limited edition critter in honor of The Year of the Dragon, (and features what Steffan would like to note is a horrible rendition of even the simplified form of the Chinese character for ‘dragon’).  I explain.  Ash points out — oh, I’m so proud! — that this does not look like a Chinese dragon, and wants to know if perhaps the explanation was that it was adopted by a Chinese dragon family.

Ash reassures his new dragon that this is the last time he will have to be adopted, because now he is part of OUR family.

Ash is pleased to get confirmation of this notion from both Mommy and Daddy.

“And you will help the rest of my dragon family guard my castle at night so I can be safe to go on dream dates with Mommy.”

It occurs to Ash to ask whether I have to pack up his dragons for the move yet, or if they can continue guarding his castle.

Oh.  Oh, it’s ok.

Whew!  That’s a relief.

He wasn’t so sure about that.

Now that we’re all feeling secure, Ash decides it’s time to name his new dragon.

“The first part of your name is like your color, and I think the last part is “full” because you are full of shiny green….your name is GREENFUL!”

Ash thinks it’s pretty darn cool that he got Greenful BECAUSE HE GRADUATED FROM 1ST GRADE.

It’s also worth giggling over.  Of course, pretty much everything is worth giggling over.

Ash shortly discovers that Greenful doesn’t just like to cuddle and giggle and prove that he can fly, but that he also likes to fly INTO people and gently bonk their heads with his own, just like he used to as a baby, as a way of introducing himself.  Greenful earns the nickname “Bonk”….not bad for someone who has been hanging out with us for less than an hour.

Attempts are made at two-way flight patterns for Bonk.

But for some reason, Bonk prefers flying at Ash.

Ok, this time he’s ready and waiting for it.

GOTCHA!!!

Welcome to the family, Greenful aka Bonk.  You’ll find lots of love here.  Thank you, Steve, for sending him to us….at Ollie’s insistence or otherwise.