Boys are from Mars

We had dinner with a group of neighbors and visitors. I met a couple who have been here nearly two years and their son has been attending the Catholic school. Finally, I got a chance to have a lengthy discussion about the schools with a parent who has a child there. I came away reassured that putting Allison in school here is the right decision.

I couldn't help watching these two interact. Little boys are like aliens to Allison, she knows so few. When I look at this photo I see her sitting politely, touching her new gold locket necklace. I know she wants to show it to him or have him notice but something prevents her from showing him and I know it is the potential for embarrassment. She knows he's a boy and won't be impressed with a necklace. So she sits quietly watching him play with the Christmas toys he's brought; some sort of monsters and a set of walkie-talkies. She made a good attempt to play along with the monsters, but whispered to me she was just being nice, which I appreciated. I watched him try to include her in his play and when he pulled out the walkie-talkies he found something that interested her. Then the real fun began and they became buddies in spying.



I feel so relieved to know she'll have at least one english-speaking friend when she starts school. We parents plan to get them together this week to play. I'll be curious to see, if he comes to our house, what the two will play with: Allison's Barbie software? Her scrapbook kit? I know the answer since I've raised two sons. Whatever they do it will be physical and involve chasing, hiding, climbing, throwing. This I look forward to because Allison could benefit from a little rough-housing.