A Very Long Day In Bullet Points

[pantryslut]

* Met with the kindergarten teacher and school director about how to support Simone in her gender identity. Forgot to say probably the most important thing: "don't reduce Simone to solely her variant gender identity. It's only one aspect of this kid here before you."

* We also chatted about our family, my writing, previous families at the school, and the classroom's pet snake.

* Had one last get-to-know-you playdate. Kids practiced their sand engineering skills and chased grasshoppers.

* Realized at the playdate that I gave my kids names that I will never, ever have to explain the meaning of to anyone. Clever me!

* Took a nap while Shayna whisked the kids away to Fairyland.

* Took the cat to the vet. The cat has a lump on her flank and arthritis in her hips. Also fleas. The lump was needle aspirated and we'll hear the results in a couple days.

* Aside from the lump, btw (and the fleas and the joint stiffness), the cat is fine. Eating and purring and eliminating as she should.

* Baked mini oat muffins. Forgot the oil. They turned out OK anyway, if a little flat.

* There was a cat at the vet who looked a lot like our cat. Her people were a gay couple and their eight-to-ten-year-old daughter. The cat's name was Bubbles. Bubbles Tan. I cannot tell you how much I love this name.

* Asked the kids what they would name kittens if they were to get kittens, after very carefully explaining that this was a make-believe game. Simone said "Speakster." April said, "April."

Comments

[malka]

That last bit reminds me of the time I lived with family friends: two adults and their four-year-old daughter. I would tell stories to her with her active participation. One of the stories started as Jack the Giant-Killer and ended up Giant [Kid'sName], Human [Kid'sName], and Cat [Kid'sName] Go to the Park to Play.

[wild_irises]

Seems to me that "We also chatted about our family, my writing, previous families at the school, and the classroom's pet snake," is a way of saying don't reduce this kid to her variant gender identity.

[pantryslut]

Yes, but since they were asking explicitly "how can we support this child in this setting?" I should have been just as explicit.