Because I Like to Tempt Fate

Now that school has begun, I feel like I need a follow-up to my last post about Danny. Partially because I think I was over-reacting at the time, and partially because he's doing so well right now.


Sure, he's only attended school now for two weeks. For lots of kids, though, those first few days of kindergarten are the toughest. Fortunately, Danny seems to have found his groove. No, he doesn't really like being awoken so early on school days. But by the time he is dressed and downstairs for breakfast, he's a chipper chicken. Many times Clare has stopped him en route to breakfast in order to help adjust his uniform, an act that speaks volumes about their relationship and its effect on his time at school. I think much of the reason he's so comfortable is because his big sister is there, and happy to engage with him. This is on top of him loving his teachers and making new friends. Not to mention that he really is an outgoing little chap.

In fact, he was even comfortable enough to make a bit of a splash in the first school mass. I had not alerted Danny to the fact that mass was going to take place last Monday, because frankly I didn't feel like listening to him gripe about it. Imagine my surprise when I picked the kids up from school later that day, and Danny strutted into the car, waving a dollar bill at me while saying, "Guess who answered one of Fr. Frank's questions in mass?" (Fr. Frank is known for asking questions during his homily and rewarding correct answers with $$.) Proud as a peacock he was! I still love picturing my little guy raising his hand and then answering a question in the big cathedral, in front of 560 students and dozens of teachers and parents. May he always be so confident. (For inquiring minds, the question was, "Who will you meet in heaven?" Danny said that he answered, "God!" and then Fr. Frank asked him if he thought that was worth a dollar, to which Danny said, "YES!")

I take his comment to me this morning as a sign of continued success. "Mommy, I have to say..." (there was a long pause here, so I really didn't know where this was going) "I'm not that interested in vacation anymore. I mean, I still like vacation and stuff, but it's just that school is more interesting to me right now." Perhaps he and Clare aren't so different after all.