The Visitor

Today, Thursday, Pap-Pap stayed with Kiernan as a volunteer/visitor at the CSUN Lab School. Teacher Stephanie asked him to read during story time today, as yesterday a CSUN student was slated to lead circle time. Pap-Pap read a story about a lady eating a trout.

After school we hung out and played for a bit, as we usually do. The difference today was that there was an able stand-in for the usual guy who gets chased and mobbed by the children. I think a lot of light bulbs went on for the mothers of Kiernan's friends.

We played for a good long while. There was an interesting ebb and flow in the playing, not depicted in the pictures here. The kids did their usual running about, their usual hiding from each other. But also there developed this interesting exclusionary element. The girls all made for the benches in front of the kindergarten building. The boys ran and ran and ran, and then made their way over to the benches. The girls then announced, "No boys allowed!" Then the boys ran away and did their thing. No big deal, really. Until later at lunch when Kiernan started asking questions about that. "Why did Lucy and Lailah say 'No boys allowed'? That's not nice." No mention of the fact that he and his friend Nicholas constantly exclude other kids from their play, or that they spend a serious amount of their outdoor play time scaring the girls and running away from them.

After school we headed to Pap-Pap's favorite lunch place during his visits, Brent's Deli. He really has to twist my arm to get me take him to this place when he comes, let me tell you. The Black Pastrami Reuben is one of the best sandwiches this world has to offer. And for Kiernan, the silver dollar buttermilk pancakes can't be beat.

I think Kiernan would pretty much be fine if we fed him pancakes at every meal.


[Picture Note: Pap-Pap and Kiernan wait for a table at Brent's Deli. Kiernan reads and Pap-Pap holds forth. Note the required name tag from his visit to CSUN Lab School earlier.]