(no subject)
I know, did you forget I had two kids? Owen's in school all day and spends far too much time playing video games after school, or reading Club Penguin books, or watching Pokemon. It's hard to artfully photograph the life of a 6-year-old.
The last couple of nights I've been reading 'The Secret Garden' to him before bed, upon my mother's recommendation. It was one of her favorite books, and mine as well. He's a huge reader (I have to confiscate books at times so he will go to bed), but the subject matter is nearly always based in cartoon and video game iconography. He reads faaar beyond his grade level at this point, but only if involves MEGA BATTLES.
Therefore, I was skeptical about this quite proper and somewhat girly novel set on the drafty moors of Yorkshire. But hey! Something about it seems to resonate with him (I think he's fond of Ben Weatherstaff's robin), and he enjoyed my own story of exploring a shuttered and overgrown garden right here in Rochester when I was a teenager. Said garden has since been restored (Warner Castle's sunken garden), and Owen asked if we could visit it together. This is huge. It does not involve fuzzy yellow imaginary creatures or MEGA BATTLES or zombies.
This is what I hoped parenting would be like, just a little bit. For a brief, shining moment, we have something in common.