This is the first summer that I haven’t been working and Jett has not been in school or daycare. I was a little worried that Jett and I would drive each other crazy so I’ve been trying to keep our summer days busy.
Jett’s been taking swimming lesson. As much time as we spent in and around pools and the ocean in south Florida, the year and a half away from that element has really had an effect. The first day of lessons he was very intimidated and had to be convinced (nicely forced) to even get in the water. I am excited to say he now is excited to go to lessons and spent today jumping off the wall and plunging under the water over and over. My goal is to have him actually swimming by the end of summer. Click.
We’ve been participating in the library summer reading program. We go to the library once a week either to get new books or attend an activity — last week it was the magician; this week is indigenous animals. Being an avid reader myself (see the Currently Reading section), I am pleased to announce that Jett received the reading gene. We’ve always read a book a night with John or I doing the narration. But now, Jett can actually read the books with us. It’s very cool, but a bit scary as he stares over my shoulder while I’m writing emails and attempts (very often successfully) to decipher my words. Click.
We’ve been trying to get him more involved in the farming aspect: working in the gardens, feeding the animals. He’s been tasked with garden pest search and destroy missions, collecting eggs, feeding fallen pears to the goats, and herding the goats and chickens when let out in the yard to range (the chickens tend to dig up plants and send mulch flying 3-4 feet from its intended place; the goats love to eat the pomegranates and pears…and the trees they hang off of).
Most of these undertakings devolve into some other mischievous act like chasing the chickens around the yard with a stick or cracking eggs on the dog’s head, but my main intent is to get him involved in what we are doing with the hope that he will learn to respect and appreciate the natural world.
Of course, he’s five so right now the world revolves solely around him, but one day like swimming or reading or all these other things we take for granted on a daily basis, it will click. Waiting patiently for that click.