anfer has a new nickname at school. it is "ol grandpa anthony back at it again withe the new kycks" (anthony tells me the spelling matters, like a lot).

this came from a conversation where anthony and some classmates were talking about going back and playing minecraft again for nostalgia sake. anthony said, if he did, his username would be "ol grandpa anthony back at it again withe the new kycks".

the next day while he was walking down the hall, a kid he didn't really know stepped into his path and said, "hey, there goes ol grandpa anthony back at it again withe the new kycks." in the middle school world, it might as well have been etched in roman granite at that moment.

if you are wondering how a twelve year old might get saddled with a self-impression of a grandparent it is just in his base demeanor (there is a good dash or two of it in his sister's marrow too). here is an exmaple of this. we were gathered around the large kitchen table of some good friends enjoying some post-dinner conversation. in these situations my boys tend to sit quietly and take things in. i once asked them if they thought they had to sit there or if they liked listening. they both said they enjoyed the stories and if they didn't, they would go do other stuff. their favorite story teller is one of marty's early teaching mentors. i will confess i too was sitting rapt to each and every story this man told about dealing with delinquent kids and escaped lizards.

on the night of this story though, the couple we were visiting were talking about how they argue. it was a comical discussion where they poked at each others tactics and pecadillos. keri was saying how obstinate michael could be and how he just wouldn't listen to reason. here anthony spoke for the first time through the whole post-dinner conversation and added:

next time you can just tell him, "i would agree with you michael, but then we'd both be wrong."

keri, and the table, but keri especially, exploded in laughter and she said she would most definitely use that line the next time michael chose to behave unreasonably. she thanked anthony heartily for his advice and commented on what a wise old soul he was. in hindsight that would have been a perfect place to throw in a "well look at ol grandpa anthony back at it again withe the new kycks".