But what about ...?
We went to the library today. We always do, on Tuesdays. Sometimes we go to the aquarium as well, or the art gallery, or the botanical gardens, but we always go to the library. JB carries our lunch, so his backpack is lighter on the way home. I carry the books and CDs and DVDs, and I always promise myself that my pack will be lighter on the way back. It never is.
~~~~~~~~~
Tuesdays are for adventures.
Today, the adventure was culinary: JB tried sushi for the very first time. He ate 1 1/2 pieces of smoked chicken sushi (minus the veggies), which was absolutely brilliant! And I got to have the rest, so I wasn't complaining.
He actually suggested it himself, which impressed me no end. I've been trying to encourage him to expand his potential menu, not least to make it easier when we go to the States later this year. He tried rice again recently, and decided it was really quite nice. So we made a deal: he would try sushi -- give it a fair and proper try -- if I bought him a bottle of lemonade as well. Seems like a good deal to me: 1 1/2 pieces on his very first try is astonishing, given how hard it is for him to eat anything new.
In the end, I let him choose a toy at the $2 shop as well, because I was so very proud of him. He chose a dragonfly-transformer-robot. This was a perfect find, as Transformers are currently JB's favourite toys in the whole world, even (partially) eclipsing Lego.
~~~~~~~~~
The library was packed with schoolkids when we arrived. A class of 7- and 8-year-olds were sitting in the wide entryway to the children's section, waiting for the others & looking at their new books. JB headed on in, and I paused to return our books. When I turned back I saw him dropping down beside a little group of three or four, who were looking at a book about knights -- one he has. He said, "I've got that book! It's great -- have you seen the game? My name's JB." The other kids looked surprised for a beat, then promptly included him in their conversation. He spent a good 20 minutes talking with them -- all having a lovely time -- rather to the bemusement of their teacher. (I noticed her looking rather confusedly at the 'new kid' with her class, and said, "Don't worry. That one's mine." "Oh good," she said, relieved, "I was wondering ...")
After the kids went off, and having changed the old books for the new, off we went as well ...
~~~~~~~~~
On the way through the Square for the first time, we heard a busker playing a digeridoo. Actually, we heard it well before we got to the Square, as a deep-toned, penetrating drone. Most impressive. He was very good, too. Normally we would have stopped, but we were in a hurry, so we headed on to the library.
As we headed back to catch our bus, we saw him again: a skinny white guy in very Aussie-looking khaki shirt & shorts, with a leather cowboy hat, a couple of carved stone animal fetish pendants, a gorgeous digeridoo and a small portable amp. He had shifted away from his original position at Speakers' Corner, having been outcompeted by the Loony HyperChristians. He wasn't playing at that moment, so JB asked if he could go say hello. Of course I said yes, so he bowled up to this complete stranger and introduced himself by asking him if he liked JB's new Transformer. "That's a great dragonfly," the musician said. "I've got a dragonfly too. Want to see it?" JB said yes, so he pulled up his shirt to show a gorgeous Pacific Northwest-style dragonfly tatoo on his side. This was a good start to the conversation ... (He had an amazing hummingbird on his chest, as well, and several others. Really nice work.)
So naturally JB settled in for a chat about Transformers and digeridoos (properly called yirdaki) and Northern Australia and ... All the rest. The guy was lovely. Over the course of half an hour or so of conversation, we found out that his name was Sean, he hailed from Aberdeen, had a couple of kids around JB's age, had spent the past couple of years travelling around the US & Australia, and was setting off on a trek around bits of NZ. JB asked if he wanted to play with his toys -- Transformers and Godzilla -- and this led to a really great session of silliness.
Eventually, we had to run off (so JB could get home in time for his current favourite cartoon). I was sorry to go -- I was really enjoying the conversation. We wished each other well, and went our ways. As we walked off, I thanked JB for being brave enough to go talk to a stranger. It's one of the things I really enjoy about being out with him, and it's something I would simply never do, on my own. (I am very glad, though, that he usually remembers to ask me first, these days!)
~~~~~~~~~
Just about every time I talk to someone about the homeschooling, the Inevitable Questions come up: Doesn't JB get lonely? Does he get to play with other children? What about socialisation?
Sometimes I worry about that.
Mostly, I really don't.
~~~~~~~~~
Tuesdays are for adventures.
Today, the adventure was culinary: JB tried sushi for the very first time. He ate 1 1/2 pieces of smoked chicken sushi (minus the veggies), which was absolutely brilliant! And I got to have the rest, so I wasn't complaining.
He actually suggested it himself, which impressed me no end. I've been trying to encourage him to expand his potential menu, not least to make it easier when we go to the States later this year. He tried rice again recently, and decided it was really quite nice. So we made a deal: he would try sushi -- give it a fair and proper try -- if I bought him a bottle of lemonade as well. Seems like a good deal to me: 1 1/2 pieces on his very first try is astonishing, given how hard it is for him to eat anything new.
In the end, I let him choose a toy at the $2 shop as well, because I was so very proud of him. He chose a dragonfly-transformer-robot. This was a perfect find, as Transformers are currently JB's favourite toys in the whole world, even (partially) eclipsing Lego.
~~~~~~~~~
The library was packed with schoolkids when we arrived. A class of 7- and 8-year-olds were sitting in the wide entryway to the children's section, waiting for the others & looking at their new books. JB headed on in, and I paused to return our books. When I turned back I saw him dropping down beside a little group of three or four, who were looking at a book about knights -- one he has. He said, "I've got that book! It's great -- have you seen the game? My name's JB." The other kids looked surprised for a beat, then promptly included him in their conversation. He spent a good 20 minutes talking with them -- all having a lovely time -- rather to the bemusement of their teacher. (I noticed her looking rather confusedly at the 'new kid' with her class, and said, "Don't worry. That one's mine." "Oh good," she said, relieved, "I was wondering ...")
After the kids went off, and having changed the old books for the new, off we went as well ...
~~~~~~~~~
On the way through the Square for the first time, we heard a busker playing a digeridoo. Actually, we heard it well before we got to the Square, as a deep-toned, penetrating drone. Most impressive. He was very good, too. Normally we would have stopped, but we were in a hurry, so we headed on to the library.
As we headed back to catch our bus, we saw him again: a skinny white guy in very Aussie-looking khaki shirt & shorts, with a leather cowboy hat, a couple of carved stone animal fetish pendants, a gorgeous digeridoo and a small portable amp. He had shifted away from his original position at Speakers' Corner, having been outcompeted by the Loony HyperChristians. He wasn't playing at that moment, so JB asked if he could go say hello. Of course I said yes, so he bowled up to this complete stranger and introduced himself by asking him if he liked JB's new Transformer. "That's a great dragonfly," the musician said. "I've got a dragonfly too. Want to see it?" JB said yes, so he pulled up his shirt to show a gorgeous Pacific Northwest-style dragonfly tatoo on his side. This was a good start to the conversation ... (He had an amazing hummingbird on his chest, as well, and several others. Really nice work.)
So naturally JB settled in for a chat about Transformers and digeridoos (properly called yirdaki) and Northern Australia and ... All the rest. The guy was lovely. Over the course of half an hour or so of conversation, we found out that his name was Sean, he hailed from Aberdeen, had a couple of kids around JB's age, had spent the past couple of years travelling around the US & Australia, and was setting off on a trek around bits of NZ. JB asked if he wanted to play with his toys -- Transformers and Godzilla -- and this led to a really great session of silliness.
Eventually, we had to run off (so JB could get home in time for his current favourite cartoon). I was sorry to go -- I was really enjoying the conversation. We wished each other well, and went our ways. As we walked off, I thanked JB for being brave enough to go talk to a stranger. It's one of the things I really enjoy about being out with him, and it's something I would simply never do, on my own. (I am very glad, though, that he usually remembers to ask me first, these days!)
~~~~~~~~~
Just about every time I talk to someone about the homeschooling, the Inevitable Questions come up: Doesn't JB get lonely? Does he get to play with other children? What about socialisation?
Sometimes I worry about that.
Mostly, I really don't.