Competing with Aidyn's Friends

As you've probably noticed, all two of my readers, I haven't been posting anything about our current unit: California. I've wanted very badly to post pictures and type a fabulous report of All Things Learned.

The truth is, we've done very little learnin' about our home state because...

I'm competing with Aidyn's friends for his time and attention. I never win.

Come 10am, a high-pitched call comes from upstairs, like some strange Juliet from the window sill. And Aidyn, no matter his intrigue in a story or conversation, dashes off, his eyes big as quarters, to swoop upon our back fence and answer the call.

They then proceed to play from 10am until we drag him in at 8pm.

Sometimes he doesn't even wake up until 9:55am, and this happens as he's got his mouth full of toothpaste over the sink.

Yesterday I was victorious for sneaking in a reading of Nine For California by Sonia Levitin,

an adorable and rambunctious story about a mother and her five kids traveling from Missouri to California over the course of 21 days. He loved it, so long as I provided wacky voices and those...delayed.....moments....of ......(gasp!) anticipation at-oh-my-god-what's-going-to-happen!

I also managed to kick his friends out of the house (lovingly) to take Aidyn to see a clown at the library. When I told him to get his shoes on, one of his friends looked me square in the eye and said "Aidyn actually doesn't even laugh at clowns."

Oh, really, girl-that-Aidyn-just-met-two-months-ago?

See what I mean. Competition.

I also lucked out once when Aidyn came squinting out of bed at five in the morning. We cuddled and watched The Crocodile Hunter and eventually an episode of Reading Rainbow in which they read Humphrey the Lost Whale

I am glad that Aidyn has these pals and this summertime freedom with them.

He's learning a lot about getting along with multi-aged children, sharing, not being such a bossy pants, and gauging whether something should be reported to an adult or handled independently.

He's learned that sometimes friends aren't careful with your stuff and things get broken, sometimes stolen. He's learned that other kids ride bikes sans training wheels, and he's determined to fit in. He's learning to socialize (pffft, outside of school, aka "the real world." How is that possible?).


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