Things are still good in kindergarten. Great actually. The Dev is loving every minute of his new school and honestly I can’t blame him. The kids?seem to have the best time in that place. (I write that last sentence?as a jealous nine-to-five worker with four hour daily commute.) I asked him the other day what he did in school and he said that he?”did”?Dora’s house. I was not amused given that it seems kind of girly to be playing with a doll’s house (Yes, I played with my friend and her Barbie’s at that age so?sue me for being Cro-Magnon about my son?doing the same thing?24 years later.)?However my wife explained to me that Dora’s crib is kind of gangsta and the boys kind of make it into Dora’s gateway to hell. That, oddly, made me feel better.

My feelings about the dolls?aside he’s having a ball. He swims in the after school program on Wednesdays and he learns music on Mondays and he studies Spanish and art.?It’s fun to see as my boy?acts like the friggin’ mayor when he walks into school and gives away waves, kisses, and hugs to staff and friends just like a savvy politician. As far as kindergarten kids go he’s well regarded and people find him engaging.

The only snafu that has arisen in the last several weeks is that he was caught using some derivation of the word ass. He’s always gets caught no matter how many kids test the boundaries of forbidden words.?I?still don’t curse around my son, I’ve always said that and I stand by it (I do curse though when he’s not around – I’m like a news anchor in that way).?When I do curse I use?much filthier words than ass so I know he didn’t get that corny nonsense from me. In a conversation about Palin and McCain you may not?be able to tell?the difference between me and Andrew Dice Clay or Richard Pryor in terms of language used. What’s more, his mother hasn’t uttered a bad word of any kind since I’ve met her (I know it’s very?disturbing?and difficult for me to believe too) so I know she’s not?the culprit. Yet I’m sure we are known as the potty mouth parents of his new class. Whatever. It is what it is. A few?comedically placed vulgarities by a five year old will not ruin the greatness of his new school experience.

I am truly happy with my son’s new school. I do wish that his joy could spill over into the rest of life. But alas if life were a joy 100% of the time it’d be called heaven and you’d be dead. Trials and tribulations remind you that you are alive and I guess that’s the silver lining. Nas (my all-time favorite rapper) once said “I need a new n**** for this black cloud to follow because while it’s over me it’s too dark to see tomorrow.” I feel his sentiment but I would rather get rid of all black clouds than hand them over to another dude.

Cheers to kindergarten and making it past the clouds and to the rainbow!