In which the Holwerda boys take a Sunday constitutional

10/25/2010

Blake's first report card came recently and told us what we already sort of knew, that he is a really sharp kid academically but needs to figure out how to get himself under control.  I probably could have saved them the printing costs by just pulling out one of my old report cards and Xeroxing it, since they said pretty much the same thing.  I'm finding that the hardest thing as a parent is to see your own weaknesses surface in your kids, and wishing that you could tell them how that particular path will end up, but knowing that they will still have to figure it out for themselves.

That said, one of the biggest delights of parenting is seeing your children's enthusiasms surfacing, and Blake both loves to learn and loves to share with Jack.  Yesterday after nap time, he told me that he wanted to go to the museum and then to the park.  I told him to pick one and, the nerd blood flowing strong among my family, he chose the museum.  The girls were still asleep, so I put on my best dad jorts, loaded up the boys, and went.

This was taken in the N.C. Wyeth Gallery, a permanent exhibit at the museum.  Many of his paintings were made as illustrations for great boyhood classics like Robinson Crusoe, Kidnapped, and The Last of the Mohicans.  Even though my sons haven't read those yet, the appeal of castaways, brigands, and Indians still looms large for any imaginative boy, right?  As you can see, Blake chose his favorite shirt that matches nothing, least of all camouflage shorts.  He's a pair of rectangular glasses frames away from looking like a little hipster.
Wyeth trivia:  Four of his children grew up to become successful artists in their own right.  His fifth child worked for DuPont and invented the plastic soda bottle.  I would kind of love to have eavesdropped on one of their Thanksgiving dinners.

And here is one of my favorite photos that I have ever taken of the boys.  Blake the performer, Jack the appreciative audience - about as good a summary of their relationship as I could ever hope to come up with.  In fact, I like this picture so much, that I have set up a CafePress store just so you, my devoted friends, can proudly wear it on your chest.  I am not kidding.  Christmas is two months away, and this would not only make the ideal gift for anybody you love, but will also help me buy presents for the people I love.  It's win-win.
We'll end this trip to the museum with a look at a piece of Native American art.  In the middle of a gallery of Kachinas and other symbolic dolls, Blake told me that he already knew what one of them was.  Like I said, the kid is pretty academically advanced.  He pointed to a doll and told me that it's from a Dr. Pepper commercial.  Bwuh?  I took a picture so I could show it to Courtney and see if she knew what he was talking about.  Halfway home, I realized he was talking about the Dr. Pepper commercial featuring KISS.

2 comments:

Becca said...

Hahaha, KISS!! That's awesome. Sounds like a really cool outing for the three of you. We should start a charter school for smart, restless kids whose clothes never match. I've got two here!

Andrea G. said...

As I usually say:
OH DANNY! Lots of laughter as I read this one!
NERDS RULE!! Please give Blake a big hug from that stranger in Kemah who thinks he's adorable!!

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