Learning about "The Bird"

Today I went into X-man's school because today was the day that all the March birthdays celebrated. I made some cantaloupe and strawberry kabobs that the kids wolfed down, and another parent brought some peanut-free mini cupcakes and some juice and the kids enjoyed their snack. In the middle of it, X-man walks up to me, all somber and says. "There was a bad thing today. That table and that table and that table all laughed at me."

When my child was an infant, he spent the first eight months of his life clenching his fists, except he inserted his thumb in-between his ring and middle fingers. I don't know why. He just did. And since he's been able to use his fingers to count, he routinely uses his middle finger to point at things.

Apparently, I'm behind in teaching my child the social customs of using the finger that also flies the bird at people. Because he used it today to point out something and someone noticed, and he said that the other kids went NUTS over it. He was embarrassed and insisted that he used his pointer finger, but I'm sure he didn't. But he also did not know that using your middle finger was "bad" until the moment 10-12 kids were publicly shaming him for doing what came naturally to him.

He said his teacher was appropriately angered at the children for picking on him and doled out the check marks and held the discussion about teasing and what not. But it still made him very sad.

Now I'm curious to see if the public shaming changes how he points, after using that finger for six years.

X-man also saw his doctor for his six-year check up today. For the first time, he went alone with MacTroll while I had a make up Parent-teacher conference. He is just under 3'11" and at and even 50 lbs, which puts him in the 72nd percentile for height and weight. His blood pressure was 86/49 (sweet! He's like his mother). She was happy that he was seeing someone for his anxiety and that he's eating a rainbow and in a normal BMI range. She asked him what he wears when he rides his bike. He said, "My helmet and my pads." She was very pleased with his thorough responses for himself. So hooray.

After school, we went to Hassle Park and played with my aunt and uncle.

In other news, I'm heading up to Chicago tomorrow to spend the night with Womenthatrolls. I'm hoping to get a pedicure and find a few cute "non-race shirt" tops to wear.