Uber Kinder

Yesterday the boys had an appointment with their new pediatrician to make sure everything was in order for their enrollment in kindergarden. We started by going into the bathroom, John, Chris and I, with little plastic cups and a marker. It was the first time they had ever had to pee into a cup. Chris went first and had no problem, but John was a bit shy. I turned the faucet on, talked about waterfalls, reminded him about all the orange juice he just had, nothing worked. We moved on.

In the hallway, Chris spied the doctor and nurse and proceeded to chat them up, inventing a story about how the fact that he had the hiccups somehow meant he did not need any shots. He really worked this angle hard, negotiating for no shots today. I didn't hear much of his reasoning, but the doctor was impressed by it (more on that later.)

John, meanwhile, was very concerned about whether the doctor would be checking out his privates. The doctor examined both the boys together, routine stuff - eyes, ears, heart, lungs, tummy, and a peek inside their shorts so fast that if you blinked, you'd miss it. John didn't miss it. He shot her a quick look, but was okay with it because nobody else saw.

Then the doctor moved on to the part of the exam to determine if they are ready for kindergarden. She asked both of them to say the alphabet. John was kind of shy throughout the whole appointment, but he really clammed up now. Chris said the whole thing right down to "next time won't you sing with me" (but he skipped the n), but John went from LMNOP to QRX....Y and Z, then looked kind of confused when his song didn't work out the way it usually does. I knew he knew his alphabet, but didn't say anything, so as not to interfere. She asked the colors of various things around the room. Then she gave them each a lined piece of paper and a pen, and asked them to draw a circle. She asked them not to make it too big (I guess so they would have room for the other things she was going to ask them to draw.) I couldn't see their drawings from my vantage point. Next, she asked them to draw a square. Chris apologized to her, because "One of my lines went outside the line."

Next came the triangle. Easily Chris' favorite shape. As John drew his triangle, Chris explained to the doctor that he would draw her a "Tri-Force. It's a triangle with triangles inside" yadda yadda yadda, Tri-Force of Power this and that. Then she asked the boys to write their names, and asked how old they are. They both answered, in turn, five and a half. She asked if they could write a five. Chris wrote his number five, but John said he couldn't (huh??? Yes you can!), so the doctor asked him to draw a man instead. Then Chris drew his man. I know if she hadn't moved on so quickly, Chris would have drawn her a picture of Link, with his angry eyebrows, sword and shield, but we moved on too soon. He told her he was drawing hair on his man.



















She asked me if I thought they were ready for kindergarden, several other questions, then she hit me with the whammy.

"Have you noticed any developmental differences between Chris and John?" This is when I prepared to jump into Defensive Mommy Mode, to tell her that John knows his alphabet, counts all the keys on the piano, can add, subtract and multiply (to an extent), asks tons of questions, and explores them to their fullest depth. Before I have much of a chance to say anything, she shows me Chris' paper. Everything she asked him to draw/write is all lined up on the first row. Tiny, but clear. CirclesquareTri-ForceChris5ManWithHair. She told me I definitely should look into enrolling him in the gifted student program. He's a perfectionist. His mind is thinking beyond the simple questions presented. A regular curriculum will not be sufficient to stimulate him, he will crave more. He wants to think more broadly, beyond the basics. I wish I could remember all the things she said, but I was too steeped in Beaming Mommy Mode.

She said John is also very bright, and has reached all the milestones to be ready for kindergarden. She said it's possible he may also qualify for the program, but because of his personality, it may not be as immediately apparent as it is with Chris. I am inclined to believe this, as I think John is an excellent thinker - he just isn't as expressive outside of his family.

Anyway, this story is getting kind of long, and I got to brag about my smart kids, which was the main point, so here's the closer:

They had to get three shots and a finger prick each (Chris went first, then walked out into the waiting room and told John it really hurt A LOT), and John managed to pee in the cup before we left.

Did I mention what smart kids I have?

As for Hannah, she just walked up to me, put her hands on her hips, and declared "Oh, for Heaven's Grapes!"