The Young Scientist
Hope's second grade teacher sent her a note the other day and enclosed this photo. In it, Hope is presenting her research project on Eastern Box Turtles, complete with papier-mâché replica, to her class. I love my girl and her enthusiasm for learning.
Everyone's a Critic
Daniel has a new habit of giving us running commentary on the music that happens to be playing. A few tidbits:
(Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away"): "[Lenny] likes his guitar!"
(Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly"): "Rock and roll!"
(U2's "Gloria"): "This song isn't so good." (I opened my mouth to argue with him, then remembered that he's three. There's time, people.)
(Alison Krauss's "Daylight," Sixpence's "Don't Dream It's Over," Hem's "Half Acre):
"Mama, it's YOU! (I'll let him keep his flattering-to-me illusion for the moment.)
Amazing Invention
I took Tess to the City for a check-up with her eye doctor last Friday. I'd promised I'd take her to lunch, but we got out of the appointment early, and decided we had time for a quick run to The Museum of Natural History before eating. As we walked past The Dakota on our way to Central Park West, Tess noticed the subway entrance.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Those are the stairs to the subway," I told her.
"What's a 'subway?'"
"It's a train that runs in an underground tunnel all over the City."
Tess stopped in her tracks, grabbed my arm, and looked up at me with saucer eyes.
"They HAVE those?" she cried.
Patrick and I lived in the City for 11 years after we got married; the subway was part of our daily life. But we left Manhattan when Tess was only two weeks old, and I tend to forget that the City has not been a crucial part of her formative experience as it was for the older three kids. Note to self: take Tess on train down to South Ferry on next trip to Manhattan.
A Modest Proposal
I received this missive from the boys yesterday, a response to my comment on this post. "Daniel signed by proxy," Christian and James each informed me independently.
In case the scan is hard to read, here's the unedited transcript:
"We the people of the United Rooms of the Perkins Household request to view the movie Alien vs. Predator. As you think the movie is dopey we are willing to do the following.
- James finishes Heidi, doesn't make fun of it at all and writes a superb 2 page essay on it.
- Christian finishes Little Women and writes a three page essay on it.
- No more complaining at all about homeschool
- We do double the chores we usually do
[Signed] James Perkins
Christian Perkins
Daniel Perkins [official seal]"
Hmmmm.
We are probably too permissive when it comes to the movies we let the big boys see, which becomes clear if you look at James's list of Top 20 Movies. The irony/disconnect becomes even more apparent when one considers that they watch no television other than what the little kids see on Noggin; Mets games; and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns.
I think most TV is garbage, and I deem the commercials to be worse than the actual programming. Yet they've seen every James Bond movie ever made.
The proposal is interesting. The boys know they have to write essays on their assigned reading anyway, and they almost never complain about homeschool (at least not in front of me). But the double chores offer is enticing. I must ponder it.