Magic 7

Well, I'm pleased to report that Cole Seevers is no longer obsessed with scary masks, horror movies and the macabre. I really was starting to worry I'd have a Norman Bates on my hands, and we all know how his mother turned out. No, now Cole has a laser-like focus and obsession with . . . magic. He owns at least five large magic sets, and the stuff is threatening to take over every last square inch of the boys' already rather small bedroom. He wears a little black sport coat everywhere, just in case he needs to put on an impromptu magic show (which, I hear from various mothers and Oakton Elementary staff, happens quite a lot between the hours of 9:00 and 3:00). And I hear, "Mom, watch this . . ." about a thousand times a day. He practices his tricks, dramatic flourishes and feigned concentration for hours on end, often in front of a mirror. On the plus side, it has helped him get over his aversion to attention and crowds. And he has become very outgoing and engaged at school. Funny how these little things help one along. I understand this magic thing is pretty typical for a boy his age, so who knows how long it will last, but it's pretty durn cute. So for his birthday, we had to get a real magician of course. And Cole just received a letter from him in the mail saying he knows one day he'll be watching Cole performing magic on the stage. Cole tucked it away with his most sacred treasures.