Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Thank heavens for Little Boys

Oh, I know that I am getting old. My bones remind me of this constantly. The other day I was on the floor for several hours, helping Jason construct a Legos Sphinx as part of our unit on Egypt. When I stood up, I almost couldn't. Sigh. So yesterday, I decided to try stretching. I got out the Tai Chi Video that I had borrowed from the library and went through the 'Warm Up' portion. Sad to say, my muscles are so tight that I am still sore from doing it.But it is a better kind of sore, one I recognize from my running days so I will do it again... and again... and again...

But enough about me and my aches:> Time to talk about boys and about the funny things that accompany their days...

The first story involves both boys. We were sitting at the breakfast table when, for no reason that I could discern, Jason said 'I don't think Goldilocks behaved very well.' Huh? He went on to explain that he thought her behavior in going in uninvited and then using the bears' furniture and eating their food was wrong... and that running away when confronted with her behavior was even more so. Xander, who had, of course, been listening intently, allowed as how, maybe she was scared that they would be mad (which, of course, they were!) Xander does not like 'mad' -- it is the only thing, apart from death, that truly scares him. Jason allowed that that might be so but that she should've thought about that BEFORE she took their things. I suggested that part of the problem was that she was lost, hungry and scared and had gone in seeking shelter. Jason said 'She should've waited until they came home and asked.' Then he asked 'Why was she lost?' Oh, man! I had to dredge into my memory of the story... I said I thought that her parents had been working and that she had gotten bored and wandered off. Jason thought about this and then allowed as how, if it had been him, he would either have offered to help his parents OR if he couldn't do that, he'd've told them where he was going. Xander, thinking intently this whole time, allowed as how, if it had been him, he'd've had a BIG stick and played Jedis close to Mom and Dad. Jason agreed that that was probably the best solution and I just stared in astonishment. Boys.

That same day, while I was attempting to get things put away from a grocery run (Xander was exhausted, not having napped and the day was too grey and rainy for them to go out again), Jason collected his copy of Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Wicked Wedgie Woman and proceeded to read it to his brother... from cover to cover! That took about an hour or so. I was amazed and impressed with both of them. Xander sat and listened intently for most of it -- though there was one bit that he decided he didn't like and so he got up and ran about until that bit was finished. Jason just read and read. And then, when it was time for bedtime books, he volunteered to read more chapters of 'Tut, Tut' -- the second 'novel' that he is reading for the Egypt unit. I allowed as how I wasn't sure that Xander wanted that and Jason said, in that voice all avid readers will recognize, 'But I want to know what happens!' He has certainly taken to reading.

No comments: