PB Monster had his first wrestling matches today.  He started wrestling practice in February. The wrestling match was in Wenatchee, WA.

 For us, it started at 8:30 with weigh-in, which was really simple.  PB Monster stood on a bathroom scale; they wrote his weight and age on his arm in permanent marker.  PB's eyes went round at an adult writing on a body part with marker.  After that, we found PB Monster's team in the stands.  The tourney was slated to start at 10:00.  The youngest wrestlers, 5-6 year-olds, wrestle first.  At 10:45, the announcer mentions that the tournament will start in 15 minutes.  An hour later, they finally start the first matches.  Apparently, there was a computer glitch.  The computer glitch haunted us for the rest of the day.  The first hour we waited, PB was in what's called the pairing room with his coaches.  All the kids from the age group on deck to wrestle are gathered in the pairing room (without parents), and the officials and coaches pair kids with the opponent for the round.  For the second hour of waiting, PB Monster was sitting in the stands.  Thank you to all the parents' who packed various mobile video game consoles.  PB watched video games, rough housed, and begged to go home before dark.

PB Monsters finally was called for his first match.  Matches have three bouts, and each bout lasts for one minute.  PB Monster spent a lot of time on the bottom his first bout.  He did a really good job of rolling to his stomach, staying off his back, and even won a few points for escapes.  The second bout, PB Monster was pinned in what I'd guess was the first fifteen or twenty seconds.  I'm not sure that he even realized that he'd lost

After another, nearly three hour delay, PB Monster had his second bout.  In Washington's little guy league, if you lose twice, you're out.  After sitting for 6 hours to watch a minute and half of PB Monster wrestling, I was OK with the possibility of him losing, so we could start the drive home. PB Monster's second opponent was nothing like his first opponent.

The little guy that PB was wrestling started crying during the first bout.  PB Monster instantly backed off, and started looking around to see who was going to get him in trouble for making another kid cry.  In between bouts, Coach Bret tried to remind PB Monster to stay on his opponent, go for legs, and pin the other kid.  PB Monster had at least two pins in the second bout, but the ref didn't call them.  The other little kid was crying and laying on his back.  PB Monster felt bad for the other kid; PB kept trying to reassure the other kid that everything was OK.  I think, if Coach Bret hadn't been encouraging PB Monster, that PB Monster would have rolled over on his back to make the other kid stop crying.  The ref finally called a pin and named PB Monster the winner near the end of the third bout.  Even with being upset by the other guys crying, PB Monster had managed to score some points, and used some of the moves from practice.

By winning the match, PB Monster advanced to the next round, but, with a four drive, we left anyway.  Maybe next time, the match will run on time, and PB Monster will be able to stay for the entire tourney with shot at a medal.

BeBop and Rocksteady

PB Monster has created his first imaginary beings.  Yesterday, he told me I had two new kids.  They were initially babies, but he quickly aged them to four.  They needed fed and buckled into the car.  When we went to the store, one held his hand and the other held my hand.  He likes to reiterate that the kids came from my belly.  There have been at least two pregnant teachers around PB Monster recently, which I attribute to his fascination with where babies grow.

Today, before I dropped PB Monster off at his daycare room, we pretended to take the kids (now two years old) to the Jr. Pre room.  When we went out for ice cream after dance class, the kids had to sit outside eating their pretend cones.  About every 10 to 15 minutes this evening, PB Monster would ask, "Where are the kids, now?"  I challenged myself to come up with a different activity for the kids each time.  Pretend games were always my favorite growing up, and it's rewarding watching PB Monster come up with backgrounds and concerns for the kids.  The most recent backstory -- the names of my new kids.

"Bebop and Rocksteady, before they were bad guys."

Kamiak

It was a springy mostly warm day, so we went to Kamiak Butte.  For those who haven't been there, Kamiak is a high spot that sticks up oddly from the rolling wheat fields.  The north side is covered in trees, and it's a nice little county park.  There is camping, hiking, and a play area.  It wasn't my intention when we left the house to go there, so I was wearing clogs.  Not the best shoes for a klutz to hike in, but I avoided tumbling down the hillside.

We started out at the play area.  PB Monster wasn't too sure about hiking.  He'd played baseball earlier in the day, so he might have been feeling a little tired.  But, eventually, he decided to give it a try.  I sang songs as we hiked, like my family used to do when I was little.  (I couldn't remember all the words to the bear song where you fall out of the tree and hit all the branches on the way down.  I'll have to look it up or ask Lisa before our next hike.)

PB Monster is a little mountain goat.  When we reached the lower summit, he started bouldering and jumping from rock to rock.  Impressive in his superhero tennis shoes.  He also walked some fallen logs.  Instead of turning around, he decided we should keep hiking.  He made almost the entire 3 1/2 mile loop on his own steam.  He kept his energy up for the entire climb, and ran down the backside.  He bummed a shoulder ride for the last 1/2 mile.  This was his first long hike, and I was proud of him for doing so well.  He saw chipmunks, finches, unnamed birds, flowers, rock shapes, and bugs.  He's still bug squeamish.  Somehwere he learned about fire ants, and he now thinks every ant is after him.

Kidisms

Thing 1, pointing at the neighbor's cat - "There's a HYENA!"
PB Monster - "No, I know what that is.  That is a cat."
Thing 2 - "Are you sure?"

PB Monster to Thing 1 - "I can punch the monsters in the FACE.  I can keep them away from you.  Tell me when you have a bad dream."

PB Monster also used left three times correctly today.  Once as a side of the bed, second as a direction to turn, and third to show which hand was his left.

Quick Smile

I just opened the dishwasher with the intention of putting away the clean dishes.  I was surprised to find PB Monster's cloth dinner napkin on the top shelf.  Guess I'd better specify washer types.

How does he know?

I'm not at my best in the morning.  I am often cranky and slow to get out of bed.  And, my brain is even slower to wake up.  If I agree to anything when I've just woken up (or am reading), remind or re-ask me when I'm awake and paying attention.  I don't connect the dots well when I first wake up.  I'll be thinking about how I have to move heavy boxes full of files at work that day while I'm putting on a dress and high heels.  My thoughts in the morning make absolute sense to me, but then don't hold up during the course of the day.

This morning, I dressed PB Monster for his dance class.  As I was running around getting myself ready, I saw one of his ballet shoes on the floor.  A couple minutes later, I saw the other shoe on top of the dishwasher.  I grabbed the shoe off the floor, set it next to the shoe on the dishwasher, and then stared at them a couple seconds.  I was debating bringing his shoes to class, and I decided against grabbing them.  My thought was "I carry his shoes along with me all day, every Tuesday since January, and he never wears them.  Today, I'll leave them home."

Fast forward 9.5 hours: Five minutes into pre-ballet, PB Monster comes running out of his ballet class asking for his ballet slippers. How does he know?

Close Enough

PB Monster: I know this movie.  It's "The Frog Kisses the Princess!"