Captain Jack has swim lessons and where to put the cat. Stories from Cayden.

Cayden has started swim lessons, this week is his second week. I wouldn't necessarily call it swim lessons yet as they are in the "making friends with the water" phase. Anyhoo, as most of you know, Cayden is generally some sort of character everday. He might be Batman one day, a Ninja Turtle the next, Buzz Lightyear another or a combination of several. One of his latest phases is Pirates of the Caribbean. I bought him a head band that had yarn dreadlocks with beads on it that velcros around this head. It comes complete with a pirate hat, rings and a dagger. It appears I'm digressing from the swim lessons story but I'm not, really. The day before, Cayden upbruptly left the pool after about 10 minutes of lessons. His face was all wet and he seemed upset and told me he was ready to go. I don't know what happened, maybe his teacher made him put his face in the water or he fell or something, what ever it was, was traumatizing. Unfortunately I was texting Hillary and didn't see what happened. The next day he said he was NOT going to swim lessons and he did NOT want a teacher. I finally talked him into it but he insisted on wearing his pirate dreadlocks. I figured it would make him feel braver. On a side note, the next time anyone has to give a talk or a sales presentation of whatever, you are free to borrow the dreadlocks to make yourself feel braver. Long story short, he wore his dreadlocks to swim lessons amidst approarious laughter amongst the lifeguards and patrons. It worked and swim lessons were great. On the way home he said, "I like Mary", "Is she your teacher?" "yes and I like her". We go home and I tell Tom (who was aware of his stress that morning), "Cayden had a good time at swim lessons today, Cayden, tell Daddy the name of your teacher" Silence...., Cayden, hesitating, ".....um....Gordon?" GORDON? GORDON? What the crap? Where did GORDON come from? I tell Tom, well, close, it's Mary. Anyway, Good Job Gordon-Mary!

Story 2.
Cayden has issues with Lily (the new Kitty). Sometimes he's jealous of the attention Lily gets, sometimes he gets mad at her for attacking his legs and sometimes just he's bored and thinks of Lily as some sort of new toy to try new things on. Either way, I keep finding Lily in weird places where Cayden has hidden/locked her away for whatever reason is his issue of the day. I will notice I haven't seen her for awhile and I start looking, I find her in the toy box with the lid shut, I find her in the living room buried under 16 throw pillows, I find her in the laundry basket with clothes on top, I find her shut in his bedroom drawer with his shirts (funny about that spot, Lily keeps going back to that spot and climbing in the drawer and sleeping in it - I guess I could shut the drawer but that seems hard), I find her on the side bar in the kitchen which it too high for her to jump down. That one I had a fit over, NO ANIMALS ON THE COUNTERS!! GROSS!! But Tom was tending and didn't seem to notice a cat stranded on the side board for oh..., minutes, hours? Special needs Tom. Today was the best. I come downstairs after changing the bed sheets and notice Cayden's Diego back pack flipping all over the kitchen like some deraged chucky doll. Inside the possessed backpack, all zipped up, Lily. Funny thing is, she loves Cayden and seems to enjoy the game. I just worry someday I won't find her and then a year later I find a cat skeleton in some container I hadn't needed until then. shudder.

Last story. As I am typing this story Cayden just got in trouble for picking up kitty by the neck again and shaking her around. I go back to my typing when I hear grunting noises coming from Cayden. What are doing Cayden, are you alright? "I'm trying to cry". oh. well, carry on then.