You Try To Teach Them

You know when you're a new parent, and you just can't wait to start teaching your precious child all of the cool things out there in the world? YOU are going to be that AWESOME parent, who jumps into all sorts of cool subjects. Your little one will know and cherish Mozart by three, want to paint like Van Gogh by four, admire Einstein, and of course, start doing their own little scientific experiements that make you think Nobel Prize before kindergarten.

 About that.....

It's a great dream. Really, it is. I had those same dreams the moment I found out I was pregnant with each child. I should have known by child three it wasn't going to happen but I could still hope that with *this one* I might have a chance.

Xavier loves Marine Biology. But that's not because I sat down with him and we watched Jaques Cousto when he was an infant. No, it's because he is totally committed to being the first person to prove that Krakens (not stupid giant squids, Mom) are real.

Ashe adores Van Gogh and Mozart, but not because I played classical music to my tummy when he was in utero, or painted his nursery with the Starry Night. Nope, he was addicted to (ok ok he is STILL addicted to) those Baby Einstein videos. In fact, it took him hard when he found out that Bard the dragon did NOT paint the sunflower painting.

Maybe I still have a slight hope for Soren, but I realize it's a pipe dream.

However that doesn't mean I don't TRY! J and I try all the time to teach our kids about really cool things. The boys know more about mythology and celtic history than most kids. They know more about astronomy, chemistry, and geology. Whenever they have a question we love to dig in and find out the answers.

Which brings me to my blog subject:

 The other night after dinner out, the night sky was dark and clear. We saw the waxing moon, which looked like a smile and the boys oohed and ahhed. During our drive home the boys peppered us with questions about the moon, stars, planets. We took the time to teach how the moon is important as it is responsible for our tides and other things.

So we pull into our driveway and Ashe asks about the stars. J is trying to teach him the difference between a star and a plane in the night sky. He points to a bright spot and says "Thats a plane." I watch the orb he's pointing at and realize that its not moving at all.
 "Hon, I dont think that's a plane."
"Of course it is. It's too big and bright to be a star." I admit is *is* a lot brighter than the surrounding stars. But still it's not moving. And after a minute passes a plane does who up nearby. All three of us gaze up and I point to Ashe the plane.
"You know" I say " I think that might be a planet."
"Oooh Mommy, a planet?"
"It could be. Daddy's right that its too bright to be a star. But see how it's not moving like the plane there?"
"Yeah."
"So, sometimes we can see the planets that are close by. So that could be one of them."
"Mom, which one do you think it is?"
"Well, I would guess that it's either Mars or Venus as those two are the closest planets."
"Mom?"
"Yes Ashe?"
"Venis sounds like Penis." He giggles and runs off to tell his brothers this amazing rhyme and I just hang my head and sigh.