What 20 Questions Sounds Like in This House

Cassius:  So, so, so, so, guys, I'm an animal that is black and white.

Maceo:  Are you a panda?! ARE YOU A PANDA?! Are you a penguin? A PENGU---

Cassius, beaming: Nope. Nope. No.

Kate:  Wait, guys, we are not using our questions wisely.  You are supposed to narrow down your -- wait, wait! Are you a skunk?!

(More grinning from Cassius).

Nick: Are you a raccoon? 

Cassius:  Nope!

Maceo:  YOU'RE A PENGUIN!  You're a monkey.  Are you a black and white monkey? Where do you live? 

Cassius, starting to hesitate a little more, begins to look confused by his "nopes."

Nick:  Are you a zebra? It's a zebra, right?!

Cassius:  Wait, wait. Guys? Um, can we go back to the beginning?  Can we?

Nick:  Why, Cassius?

Cassius:  So, so, it was a penguin but now it's an orca.  That was a hard one to guess wasn't it?  Guys?

Morning Commute

For Maceo's birthday at the beginning of April, we got him a mountain bike with gears and hand brakes. Mamy and Maurice got him a bell and water bottle, and Grandpa and Grandma Sue got him a brand new helmet. He was ready to go. Of course, Cassius immediately wanted in on the game and decided to learn how to ride. He began to practice on his strider bike which has no pedals and is designed to help kids learn to balance.

Soon after came the Great Brookland Yard Sale, and with Cassius now a master of the balance bike, we found him a $20 pedal bike to ride. He took to it rather quickly, and there's been a lot of talk of biking to school, which is just under a mile away. One Sunday, we tried a practice run. We made it back home an hour and a half later, and someone was tired.

However, we've all been practicing since then, and since I didn't have to be at school until 9:30 the other day, we took off on bikes to try a new route to school that hopefully wouldn't take 50 minutes or so!

Both boys did well. Cassius chattered incessantly, as is his wont, until we reached the big hill that leads to their school. At this point, he got tetchy and began to insist we take the route we'd done the practice attempt on. I put his bike on my bike's saddle, put Cassius on my crossbar, and pushed them all up the hill, finding Maceo at the top! So, it seems Cassius isn't ready yet for the task, but Maceo is. Perhaps next year, we'll all 3 be biking to school!