Monday, December 24, 2007
They call it "children's time"
Tonight's church was a special service designed for families with small kids and Seattle's homeless. As such, they brought all the kids up to the front for a reading of the Christmas story, and then a story by a member of the homeless community. It was rather long for little kids, but was a nice and casual Christmas Eve.
Kenzie sat amazingly focused, strategically positioned next to the reader. She sat straight up, raised her hand as appropriate, and paid total attention to both stories.
Mason, on the other hand, figured out quickly the aim of the game. As the reader told bits of the story, a volunteer was given the chance to put a figurine into the manger scene. Each time she asked for a volunteer at least fifteen kids would raise their hands. Mason was the littlest, and also was not in a good position to be seen. So, he realized that the person who was handing out the pieces ("behind the scenes") to the kids was his adult friend Julie. Instead of fighting the kid crowd, he went straight to her (which was in plain view of the entire church). She subtly tried to encourage him to sit down, which he did. But he immediately rose again to show her his new shoes. Then he sat down again. Then he rose to...oh no, is he really doing what I think he's doing...lift his shirt and show her his new underwear (yes, he's very proud). When that trick still didn't fetch him a prized wise man, he showed her his "I love you" sign. All the other kids were watching the reader, but he was working the source. At one point he was leaning on the manger scene with one elbow on the hay and a hand in his pocket, talking out of the side of his mouth, as if to be secretive. All we could do was hope for two things (1) that this would end quickly and (2) that she wouldn't give in. It is exactly this type of Eddie Haskel behavior that I'm trying to discourage with him. But, alas, it worked. She gave him three separate "on the side" figurines, which he quickly put in their place center-stage...where he feels most comfortable.
When the homeless lady started to talk about what it's like to be homeless in Seattle, he got bored and returned to us. Kenzie, meanwhile, sat transfixed until the end.
Kenzie sat amazingly focused, strategically positioned next to the reader. She sat straight up, raised her hand as appropriate, and paid total attention to both stories.
Mason, on the other hand, figured out quickly the aim of the game. As the reader told bits of the story, a volunteer was given the chance to put a figurine into the manger scene. Each time she asked for a volunteer at least fifteen kids would raise their hands. Mason was the littlest, and also was not in a good position to be seen. So, he realized that the person who was handing out the pieces ("behind the scenes") to the kids was his adult friend Julie. Instead of fighting the kid crowd, he went straight to her (which was in plain view of the entire church). She subtly tried to encourage him to sit down, which he did. But he immediately rose again to show her his new shoes. Then he sat down again. Then he rose to...oh no, is he really doing what I think he's doing...lift his shirt and show her his new underwear (yes, he's very proud). When that trick still didn't fetch him a prized wise man, he showed her his "I love you" sign. All the other kids were watching the reader, but he was working the source. At one point he was leaning on the manger scene with one elbow on the hay and a hand in his pocket, talking out of the side of his mouth, as if to be secretive. All we could do was hope for two things (1) that this would end quickly and (2) that she wouldn't give in. It is exactly this type of Eddie Haskel behavior that I'm trying to discourage with him. But, alas, it worked. She gave him three separate "on the side" figurines, which he quickly put in their place center-stage...where he feels most comfortable.
When the homeless lady started to talk about what it's like to be homeless in Seattle, he got bored and returned to us. Kenzie, meanwhile, sat transfixed until the end.
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