7 Years, 5 Months

Steve reading a particularly intense passage of the illustrated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 

If you come to visit, unfortunately you can't sit on our couch...

... because it is occupied by Jack's fort filled with stuffed animals.

I hesitate to share the following pictures, because they show how truly ridiculous the situation has become. This is what happens when you combine a kid who absolutely loves stuffed animals (Jack) with a parent who has also always loved stuffed animals (me), a comfortable middle class income, and another parent who is amused by and enables it all (Steve): 

Under there, somewhere, is Jack's bed. Somehow he does manage to sleep in there each night.

It looks like we live in a toy store. I really don't feel like the kids are that spoiled, but clearly I am very, very wrong.

We put our foot down at the jumbo floor lounger. It turns out we have some (minimal, nearly entirely absent) standards.

I wanted to take a picture since Henry and Jack picked the same pajamas to wear, which almost never happens. Henry eventually agreed, as long as he didn't have to smile and could make whatever face he wanted.

Sigh.

Absorbed with Dad's phone. Apparently our minimal standards do not include not lounging on tables.

Because it was Steve who came upon this instead of me (who would have immediately yelled at him to get his butt down), here's a picture of Jack, who apparently needs to be more closely supervised:

The ceiling is just a smidge over nine feet tall where Jack is perched. 

Sometimes we have "outdoor screen time" (a.k.a. going to the Boardwalk arcade).

Jack loves the driving games...

... even when it's difficult to reach the pedals. 

Henry adores this crazy snowmobile game...

Though they would rather hang out in the arcade all day, the boys do seem to be generally enjoying school.

Jack and friend Camden show off their January calendars:

Henry and his calendar:

I loved this writing assignment, "Make your snowman silly and tell about it."

Henry: "My snowman is building another snowman."

Jack: "My snowman is at the pool."

Jack's polar bear:

Jack was excited to point out to me that he added white dots to make "cute eyes."

Henry's polar bear:

I love the scarf. 

Another writing assignment, favorite things to do at school. 

Jack: "I like to do math."

Henry: "I like playing on the playground." 

As a class reward for good behavior, the kids occasionally get to bring a stuffed animal to class. The last time this happened, apparently a group of kids coordinated to form the "turtle squad." Jack is center left: 

Henry can be seen scowling halfway out of frame on the bottom right. He knew about the turtle squad plans and chose not to participate, and I think he may have regretted that a little. Social dynamics are hard. I regularly feel bad for the kids having to navigate it all. Somehow I'd completely blocked from my mind how complicated it can be.