I have a confession to make: I haven't had a tetanus shot since fourth grade. That's 25 years, folks. The reason? I still remember that last tetanus shot. I got it in a hospital emergency room after an accident in my grandparents' back yard that resulted in several stitches in my thigh. The shot hurt almost as bad as the stitches. So I have lied like a dog whenever some medical professional has asked me if I'm current on my tetanus. Next week, a nurse is visiting our office to administer flu shots. She can also give pneumonia vaccinations, Vitamin B-12 shots and the dreaded tetanus shot. I'm going to get one. The really nasty hand scrape I got in my friend's back yard was sort of a wake-up call that I might not need to mess around about it anymore. But I am not looking forward to it at all.

I've noticed that Jesse's reading has really improved only six weeks into the school year. He reads to me at least four times a week at bed time for at least 15 minutes on top of the individual reading he's doing at school. I can see a big difference in his fluency. But most importantly, he seems actually eager to read! This is a huge shift in attitude.

In other news, I needed to add fractions earlier today (don't ask) and I had to go online to remember how to add fractions with uncommon denominators. And it took me three Web sites and at least 15 minutes to read and understand the instructions. God help Jesse when he starts bringing home serious math homework.

Jesse got in trouble at Lindenwood yesterday. I picked him up and the director was standing at the door with him. That is an uh-oh sight if ever there was one. She relayed the story of how Jesse and some friends were playing under the scorekeeper's table in the Gym, which they know is off-limits, and the table got tipped over, which could have really hurt someone. So the crew involved are banned from the gym for the rest of the week and can't work in concessions for the rest of the month. Walking out to the car, I asked Jesse what happened. "Well, I was playing near the table..." "No," I interrupted. "You were playing under the table." "Oh, yeah." They learn the art of spin at such a young age.