Day Eight: Music and Museums

Today, a soccer dad offered to take the public school kids to the museum to see the Vikings exhibit. It was for C's age group (12 year olds) We met at his house, then the kids and he (brave man) scootered and biked to the museum. They had a great time. When they got to the Imax movie, they discussed sharing an extra large popcorn, whereupon my little angel responded, "Sharing is for wimps," and bought his own with the money he had brought.

The dad was truly shocked by this comment. He was very nice about it, but mentioned it at the following soccer game as an "astonishing" thing to say. My husband and I looked at each other and shrugged, "Or," I said, "it's a totally normal thing for the third of three boys to say, although it's still rude. Of course, if he'd been saying it to a brother, it would have been worse." The dad thought that was pretty funny, and concluded that the third has to fight for what's yours. I guess so. It's not like our kids are lacking in any way. And we have ALWAYS encouraged sharing, which worked really well when they were little. These days, our kids are more interested in getting something their brothers don't have and doing a victory dance in front of them. Our board games are NOT for the timid.

While I was dropping C off, A and B took advantage and slept in. Again. The 10am wakeup is just not happening. I took B and a friend to a "strike swim" at a local Rec Centre and they took the bus home. Many pools are closed for maintenance at this time of year or in the midst of their fall schedule. I actually worked out for an hour! Me! Worked out! Then I drove downtown to pick up C at the museum, drive the scooter he used back to his friend's house and get him home for his tuba lesson.

The second we walked through the door, he ran to the washroom, which is where he was when the tuba teacher arrived. C has no shame, yelling, "I'm still pooping!!" when I called him. I really do need to talk to him about manners.

And where was A all this time? On his computer. Working on anything? No. Apparently, "the internet is down." The same internet he's using to play his game? "Uhhh, no. I guess it's the online course website or something." Right.

How does one inspire intrinsic motivation??

A puzzler.