Wally asked me the other day what “priceless” meant. He thought it meant something that is worth nothing so it costs nothing. So I tried to explain it by saying that no one could buy him from me—he’s so valuable that there is no price high enough. I wasn’t sure if he got it.
The kids are doing well in their new school. I ask them what they did at recess, and their responses are so different. Vivvi is friends with everyone. Vivvi says, “I played with one of my friends.” I say, “What’s her name?” She says, “I don’t know.” Lately she found a friend (who’s name she knows) who is her speed. They play babies and puppies and Vivvi feels “comfortable,” a word she shocked us with, pulled from her emotionally-intelligent vocab that we did not give her. Wally is unsure if he has friends—although I believe it’s mostly because he doesn’t remember what early friendship feels like. He plays kickball, and sometimes sits on a bench. The first bench-sitting day, he sat alone, and my heart cracked just a little. The second bench-sitting day, a boy from his class saw him sitting there and asked what he was doing. This kid then sat with Wally the rest of recess and they talked. Thank you, kind boy.
Wally and Vivvi sit together on the bus. When Vivvi gets on the bus at the end of the day before Wally, she saves him a seat. “How do you do that?” we asked her. “Mermaid style,” she said, and she demonstrated by sitting with her legs stretched out to the side. My favorite thing about sending them to school is that I know they have each other.
Wally earns rewards in his class for good behavior. He can choose to cash them in for little crap like bouncy balls, action figures, slime. Or he can choose experiences—lunch with the teacher, bringing a stuffed animal, wearing no shoes for a day. (Why is this a reward? Do I need to rethink my bribes at home?)
Today he used his rewards to surprise Vivvi and read to her class. Her teacher sent me this picture.
When he gets home from school, I’ll show him, so he knows what priceless means.
This gives me all the feels! About a week ago I was watching one of the videos that Wes and Wally used to text each other and I was soooo happy to have those little snippets of their toddler personalities. Seeing him “all grown up” reading to his sister’s class makes me glad that you continue to capture the priceless little snippets of life. ❤️
What a wonderful learning experience for both! Wally making friends in his own way and then helping Vivvi as she adjusts to a new school plus helping her meet her new classmates!
He is so mature for his age!!
I really enjoy all of your posts, but Wally’s choosing to read to Vivvi’s class for his reward gave me goose bumps. What a special, loving brother he is. You are a special mother and a terrific writer.
Awe. I love this post. Thanks for sharing. His kindness is contagious.