A Friday - Diaper changing, libraries and white blood cells, chocolate muffins, sunshine reading, parking lot art

Telly

A boy watches Wild Kratts on PBS Kids with his younger brothers. There is something special. And then their older sister comes in and…somehow enjoys it as well.

Responsibility

An 11-year old takes initiative and changes his 2-year old bro’s diaper.

Quotes and Convos

“I don’t understand why adults get to snack on stuff like coffee all morning like, and kids hardly get anything.”
-Anonymous 11-year old

The Institution of White Blood Cells for Culture (e.g. A Public Library)

A pre-reading boy sprawled on his stomach on the library floor, mask high, pouring through book after book after book.

An 11-year old reading Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

A 5-year old heading straight out from library checkout to a concrete perch just outside, where he leads us to read more books. In the sun. It’s a ritual that’s become important to him, and it’s a good thing it’s sunny, because he can’t completely understand why we can’t do it in the rain as well. And thus it was we read Zathura, Chris Van Allsburg’s 2002 follow-up to Jumanji. In the sunshine. Then we went through Little Bear’s Visit, Else Minarik’s 1961 classic illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Finally, we wrapped up with Peter Spier’s (also 1961) The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night.

Theater

I picked up a giaaaant chocolate muffin for three boys to split while we waited for their sister to finish theater rehearsal. When I say “I picked up,” I mean “I had a boy go in with cash to choose, transact, and receive appropriate change back.” I think grocery shopping and ordering food are a great way to learn a host of things about independence, respect, communication, and, of course, the proper handling and transacting of currency.

Reading "A Sick Day for Amos McGee" in the sunshine

We headed to a parking lot where I spread out an old blanket in a grassy knoll amidst the asphalt. Note: always keep an old blanket in your motor car. You never know when you might need an emergency place to sit and read books in the sunshine.

So we sat in the sunshine. Some more. And read books. Some more. But this time with a giaaaant chocolate muffin. That three boys made disappear rapidly.

Others:
Oliver Jeffers’ It’s My Tree
Philip and Erin Stead’s A Sick Day for Amos McGee

In the sun

Then we drew. Outside. In the sun.

Eventually

She finished, and we gathered up 473 items of art, books, and papers, and headed home to see the beloved figure they call Mom and I call the delicious Countess Becca.

The day had some moments. Some good ones.