I drove the kids to the craft store yesterday (more on that later) and T. used the time in the van to draw a picture. "Look Mama!' she said, holding up a picture for me to see. "I drew a picture of the way my house will look when I grow up." The house was a big square, with cute asymmetrical windows, and a huge potted plant on the front porch. It looked nice, and cheery, and the sort of place T. might live in, when she is a grown-up.

"That's a waste of time," L. said cynically from the back row seat. "No one ever grows up to live in the houses they drew when they were kids."

T. studied her picture some more. "Well I will," she said. "It's can't be that hard to do."

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We are undertaking a huge project these days: remodeling L.'s bedroom. Early last year he asked if he could get a "new look" for his room as part of his 5th grade graduation/birthday gift. This is also an important part of his transition to middle school--a clean slate, fresh start, and all that. Right before we left for the beach he got his hair cut--a new, short look, also part of the "new L." and a change we've been working on for about a year. Getting his hair cut was really big for L. He was very attached to his long hair, but his attachment to keeping it that way was also connected in complicated ways to his anxiety. Agreeing to getting it cut really was a milestone for him, and I think he's happy with the new look.