Veterinarian vs Veteran

Since Elliot is now reading and starting to spell, he's banging his head on the oddities of the English language. So many exceptions, so much to memorize because the rules aren't consistent. He's starting to read, he's flipping d and b in writing and in reading, but he seems to have memorized the word "and" which will help. It's so clear that he's an auditory learner. He's great at sounding out words, but the only way to tell it's short a vs long a is to memorize it.

I thought Elliot might appreciate this Ali G Show segment where Ali tortures this really patient and kind Vietnam veteran veterinarian named George Washington by his inability to understand the difference between veteran and veterinarian. Elliot thought it was hilarious.

The Skywalkers

Elliot's soccer team is called the Skywalkers in tribute to the most righteous Jedi warrior Luke (or is it a Native American reference?). This season we're going to be playing some fast cats (and dogs) - the Panthers (2 teams are named the Panthers), the Cheetahs, the Barncats, the Huskies. On Saturday, Wallingford Park hosted six simultaneous games for the under eight section of the Woodland Soccer League. Elliot's team consists of six first graders and only three play at a time, so it's a tight field of aggressive, sprinting boys pulsating on the field, locking together in a skirmish then dissolving onto the sidelines and clotting together again. I won't even ask him to do t-ball next year, soccer is so much more active and strategic. Elliot takes soccer very seriously. Each time he made a goal he looked at us to see if we were watching, but didn't smile or celebrate at all. When his grandpa and Dan cheered after a skirmish that ended up with the opposing team scoring (because it was a good play) Elliot took note and confronted them after the game. I was shocked by how fast and exciting the game turned out to be. Does this mean I've become a soccer mom?