Perspective

I’m reading, The Phantom Tollbooth to my children at night.   Today son got to see the dress rehearsal of a play of the same book by the older students were doing at.   He was pretty excited to tell me he knew what happened in the story as we left to go home.  

I asked him if he could keep what happened to himself and not tell his sister, so she could enjoy the story as it unfolded each night when we read.  He said he understood and he wouldn’t tell.   I also told  him that sometimes when you like a story enough, you want to read it more than once.   And that I enjoyed reading the book even though I knew what was going to happen.   I asked him if he thought he would still enjoy hearing the book at night.

He said he would and we talked about how the book had more details than the students could do in the play.  On the ride home he talked about all the things that would happen in upcoming chapters.   Tonight’s chapters wasn’t one in the play but it was interesting to think about and I answered a lot of questions from both my daughter and son.

The chapter is on perspective and they meet a boy who’s feet are three feet off the ground.   His family grows downward so they always have the same visual perspective their whole life.   It reminded me of being little and having my perspective change.

It’s not a clear memory,  but I know there was a time I couldn’t see what was on top of the counter.   Time passed and I must have not paid attention to that particular observation for a long while but one day I remembered when I realized I could see the tops of the counters now and how convenient that was because I hadn’t always been able to do so.

The Big Boy Update:  My son is out of school in two days.   He’s looking forward to the summer and doesn’t seem bothered or excited about school being out.   He will be in the same class with the same friends and teacher for two more years so it’s just a longer break to him.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter’s hair, including bangs, is very slowly getting longer.  Her hair grows with glacier-like slowness.   Her bangs are now long enough to be held back with a headband.   The good news is, my daughter likes wearing headbands—sometimes even to bed.