In the meanwhile, I try to teach H.o.p. about the earth’s yearly cycle. I’ve been telling him about it for several years and he’s been fed all the information through a number of enjoyable educational venues. Ms. Frizzle tells him about it. Astronomy disks tell him about it. He likes what the planets look like, likes that a lot, and thinking about rocket ships and Marvin the Martian scooting around the solar system. He sometimes says he’d like to be an astronaut, he thinks that would be cool, but he wants to be able to bring along all his toys and us. I see in Halloween an in to talking about the year and I inform him that if he’s going to really appreciate Halloween and its spooky history he needs to get a better grip on that yearly cycle and he’s all for that. I set up the room’s floor with an imaginary sun at the center and set out 12 points representing the months and emphasize the seasons. I figure walking it might help. Yes, yes, he likes that idea a lot. He’s already hopping up and down, excited. So I stand at the center and he stands at the place of the Winter Solstice and we start to walk out the seasons and months, my talking about the solstice and the equinoxes. He’s not paying a bit of attention, he’s grinning and hopping around. I ask him questions to see if he’s absorbing any of what I’m telling him. He looks at me and says, “We’ll say it together” which means no, and you say it and I’ll repeat it after you. He’s immediately hopping again, holding my hand, excitedly dancing from one month to the next. I get frustrated after several tours around the sun and tell him he’s hopping around, not paying attention and so he’s not going to remember a bit of what I say. And he stops and looks at me and says, “But I’m doing my dance of joy for the year.” And he’s totally serious.
Oh.
I move away from what we’ve been doing. I remember everything I’ve told him about the cycles of life. I come back and tell him he’s right. He’s absolutely right. Pick back up with his joyful dance.
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