he's cooler than you are

my son is 5 years old, and i am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that he is not receiving an authentic kindergarten experience. this is the latest event to convince me of his departure from the norm:

yesterday, i spent the whole day volunteering in the library. charlotte was very busy and she had need of my help. after school was over, jackson asked if he could play with his friends for a while before he and i had to go. we were in no hurry, so i said it was fine. rather than walk out to the playground, i followed him to the front of the school where the sixth grade boys sit on picnic tables while waiting for their parents. jackson walked over and, to choruses of "jackson! what's up, man?"; he high fived most of the boys.

he went on to tell everyone it was time to play tag, set the rules, and change the rules mid-game to ensure his success. when it was time for us to go, he again made his rounds, and we hit he road.

of course, he benefits from having his very cool mom teach at the school. he also has a sixth-grade reading buddy who is very nice. but, he is not afraid to play with kids 6 years older than him. so, thank you michael, tat, chi, bat, matthew, and devin for playing with my kid and helping him to feel like the coolest kindergartener in the history of aisd.