Milestones

Ezra put himself to sleep tonight. Avi, who was really good all day, was a turkey at bedtime, repeatedly coming out if his room and making enough noise to arouse Ezra as I was trying to nurse him asleep. I finally got him to sleep and put him in the crib when Avi woke him yet again. Having already nursed him for a LONG time, I just tried to encourage him to fall asleep. It took awhile, but with a few reassuring visits and pats, and with his lovey-ducky, he did it without crying! This kid is so easy-going. Of course I thought the other two were good, easy babies too!
Noah was excited and proud that I let him ride his bike to the school playground without accompaniment, and home too. Avi and Ezra and I went too, but we were so much slower, I let Noah go ahead both going and returning. I think he's ready to go to school by himself. People think that's crazy, and I think most people don't let kids go themselves until fourth or fifth grade, but it's ridiculous. It's five blocks! Kids of previous generations would have done it and no one would have thought a thing about it. The only thing I want is a way for the school to alert me pretty much immediately if for some reason he didn't arrive. But then again, so many other kids and parents are traveling the same route that God-forbid something should happen to him, I would know from one of them.
Speaking of Noah, he's on the third Harry Potter book. It's amazing that he's only been reading for a year and a half. But then, he still can't tell time for anything.
In sad news, both Lilly and Murphy are sick. Lilly has been for some time; she has hardly eaten in months. Murphy developed a lump on the top of his tail and it's cancer. He had it removed and biopsied on Tuesday, and the results today were not good. Noah is so worried about both of them. And especially with Murphy sporting a big cone collar and a huge line of stitches on his behind. Noah is filled with sympathy for him.