Happy Birthday War in Iraq!

Wow, you're almost four! It's amazing how fast they grow up. I mean, it seems like only yesterday you were just learning to say your first word ("Mission Accomplished"), standing and walking (and ducking and covering).

So I thought to myself, what do normal four-year-olds do? Well, those who show promise have their parents enroll them in Junior Kindergarten. In honour of that, here is my gift to you: the insanely apropos "Goals of Junior Kindergarten".

"By the time they enter Junior Kindergarten, children have developed a basic understanding of how the world works. In Junior Kindergarten, our goal is to help the children determine their roles, both as part of a community and individually. They work as a class to develop rules that will benefit them all.

At this stage of development, the children are establishing a sense of self. It is important for them to experience success and to be proud of their achievements. The children are developing an understanding of concepts about themselves, others and the world around them through observation, interacting with people and real objects, and seeking solutions to concrete problems. Their learning is a complex process that results from the interaction of the children's own thinking and their experiences in the real world. The children continue to work on social skills such as cooperating, helping, negotiating and talking to solve interpersonal problems. Our goal is for them to develop high self-esteem and positive feelings toward learning. "

Nice, eh?

UPDATE: OK, so I rounded up a little. I'm including the year run-up to the actual invasion, that included such #1 hit singles as "Yellow-Cake" and "Mobile Chemical Factories". Expect the Greatest Hits CD soon!