Robin Hood

Grams is very clever. She sweetly honors our one present preference come holiday time... and then joyously observes a multitude of holidays :) She's left the complaining about limits behind and creatively solved her conundrum (hmmm, the P apple doesn't fall so far from the tree, eh?) I can't gripe, as she is sticking to the, um, Letter of the Law, and P's prizes are also spread out quite nicely. And Grams, of course, is quite pleased with herself. A win-win-win situation, no?

So it was with great pleasure that P opened a bow and arrow set for St. Patrick's Day/Easter. He's really loved the Robin Hood tale of late, and this gift thrilled him to no end. I know learning is everywhere (when Blaine and Micki were visiting, Blaine asked P how he knew something and P just shrugged and said "I learn from life.") and we feel no need to "teach" P anything, but it is still Amazing to watch learning. just. happen. The set seemed like a toy, something fun, something clearly torturous for BB. Ha! First there was the manual dexterity. Watching him wrap his fat little fingers around an arrow and fit the string into the notch, all while holding the bow with his other hand was fascinating. Then the timing of letting the arrow go. And how to stand to allow room for the string to stretch. And how to aim to hit BB. On and on the learning went, not a physics lesson or PE class in sight.

After a few hours with his set P looked at me seriously and whispered, "Do you think I'm better than Robin Hood?"

He slept with the bow and arrow that night and we made more arrows with fuzz filled felt points the next day. These have proven quite popular - it combines his devotion to sticks and swords in one fell swoop. So he shoots them at BB, runs to get one, sword fights BB with it (hint: wear doubled up gloves when sword fighting with dowel rods and a four year old. Your knuckles will thank you) and then runs and shoots again. He proudly took it all to the Mulberry Street library on Friday to show his favorite librarian, who helped him find another Robin Hood book to feed the frenzy :) She also showed him next week's craft: a Robin Hood inspired recycled hat to celebrate Earth Day. If the kid wasn't so sure he's going to marry me (he told me a couple days ago that he'd give me purple crocuses on our wedding day:) I'd say he was working on his first crush. (She even looks a little like Maid Marian!) Who, of course, is typically played by BB in a princess hat...