I had a four day vacation with my grandson. We did some hiking, biking, and used book hunting.
The PARK where we hiked was so tranquil. There were a few people swimming at the beach but we just left them to it. It's a very rocky beach. I think technically it is also closed as are all other amenities except for trails.
Also Chimney Point in VT
We had a long BIKE RIDE. The 14 miles is one way. It was fun although neither one of us was ready to hop on bikes the next day.
Grandma is all about encouraging physical activity, which Dane really needs. (Although my daughter considers it interference.)
Grandma is also all about encouraging reading. Dane picked out Bill Clinton: My Life, Bob Woodward: Bush at War, Robert Dallek: Nixon and Kissenger, Partners in Power and Thomas Friedman: From Jerusalem to Beirut. Right now he wants to be a diplomat or a politician. He's 13 -- a very old man 13.
He was using Duolingo to study Spanish online during the school year, but he is learning the Arabic alphabet on his own time over the summer. Ya gotta think he is not a typical kid.
BTW, we won't be having book discussions if these are the books he chooses to read!
So I have to say that I am worried about him in spite of the fact that I think he is a wonderful, delightful person. His anxiety over the pandemic is palpable, as his his anxiety about the state of the world.
He was in a state over the hybrid model of school that was supposed to start after Labor Day because he thinks he won't be able to keep the schedule straight. (He actually does have a bizarre lack of a sense of time so that's a reasonable fear for him to have I guess.) His school just announced that it would now be online instruction only for at least September and October. He misses interaction with friends and teachers and really doesn't care for the online school but he was a little relieved to hear that.
He spent a lot of time hand washing and reminding me about hand washing. He wiped down surfaces with disinfectant but not obsessively -- by which I mean no worse than me. He did obsess over seeing one person without a mask who passed him. Do you think she gave me the virus?
Burlington is usually hopping this time of year but not in 2020!
He says he is afraid he might be racist because he lives in a rural town that is quite conservative and he hears friends make racist, anti-immigration, anti-LBGT, and pre-Trump remarks. He has been sleep-walking. Breaks my heart!
You have to look at the mural in an alleyway to see a crowd. Here's a random section featuring Grace Potter. The mural is controversial for it's lack of diversity.
The PARK where we hiked was so tranquil. There were a few people swimming at the beach but we just left them to it. It's a very rocky beach. I think technically it is also closed as are all other amenities except for trails.
Also Chimney Point in VT
Looking over narrow part of Lake Champlain to Crown Point, N.Y.
We had a long BIKE RIDE. The 14 miles is one way. It was fun although neither one of us was ready to hop on bikes the next day.
Grandma is all about encouraging physical activity, which Dane really needs. (Although my daughter considers it interference.)
Grandma is also all about encouraging reading. Dane picked out Bill Clinton: My Life, Bob Woodward: Bush at War, Robert Dallek: Nixon and Kissenger, Partners in Power and Thomas Friedman: From Jerusalem to Beirut. Right now he wants to be a diplomat or a politician. He's 13 -- a very old man 13.
He was using Duolingo to study Spanish online during the school year, but he is learning the Arabic alphabet on his own time over the summer. Ya gotta think he is not a typical kid.
BTW, we won't be having book discussions if these are the books he chooses to read!
So I have to say that I am worried about him in spite of the fact that I think he is a wonderful, delightful person. His anxiety over the pandemic is palpable, as his his anxiety about the state of the world.
He was in a state over the hybrid model of school that was supposed to start after Labor Day because he thinks he won't be able to keep the schedule straight. (He actually does have a bizarre lack of a sense of time so that's a reasonable fear for him to have I guess.) His school just announced that it would now be online instruction only for at least September and October. He misses interaction with friends and teachers and really doesn't care for the online school but he was a little relieved to hear that.
He spent a lot of time hand washing and reminding me about hand washing. He wiped down surfaces with disinfectant but not obsessively -- by which I mean no worse than me. He did obsess over seeing one person without a mask who passed him. Do you think she gave me the virus?
Burlington is usually hopping this time of year but not in 2020!He says he is afraid he might be racist because he lives in a rural town that is quite conservative and he hears friends make racist, anti-immigration, anti-LBGT, and pre-Trump remarks. He has been sleep-walking. Breaks my heart!
Your grandson sounds extraordinary. It is wonderful when children are so open with adults.
ReplyDeleteMy grandchildren have also been traumatized by the pandemic. Like your grandson, they are very open and talk about their feelings.I don't worry as long as we can keep talking.The beauty of being a grandmother is that you have some wisdom and comfort to share. Grandmothers can make a significant difference in a child's life.
Oh my. What an unusual kid. He sounds bright, though. Maybe, he will become a diplomat, perhaps a politician. I can see him running for President of the USA.
ReplyDeleteGigi -- His kindergarten teacher called him "quirky" and told my daughter that she (the teacher) would be sure to pass that information on to the first grade teacher. He is an odd combination of intellect and yet very childlike.
ReplyDeleteSandra -- Yes, a good thing when children have adults who can listen and are willing to hear what is being said. My grandson went through his dad's sudden illness and death last summer and the pandemic this year, a lot to cope with at that age for sure.
ReplyDeleteWow, does he sound unique and only in the best sense. I wondered how kids were handling the pandemic and was interested in how he is bearing up though it does sound like he is feeling the pressure. How could he not? I worry about the scars this will leave on the younger ones. Glad he has you to open up to.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice you had time with Dane. I can't imagine being a child in the midst of all that is going on. It's hard enough to be an adult. I have no doubt your grandson will go on to be an exceptional young man.
ReplyDeleteMy grandson is only 3, so doesn't understand a lot, though he is aware there are bad germies out there so he has to keep his hands clean and use hand sanitizer when he goes to the play ground. We're fortunate as there have been no known cases in their area and just over a 1000 in our entire province.
Take care and stay well.
He sounds like a great kid. But I am also impressed with you ... 14 miles!
ReplyDeleteTom--give me full credit! We made the round trip!
ReplyDeletePatti-- he is a good boy, been through a lot lately.
Maebeme--It will be interesting to see the impact even on very young children. I can't help wondering what new babies are going to react when they realize strangers have whole faces when masks are no longer needed.
I'm proud of your grandson and he's not mine nor do I know him. What a great kid. As for Grace Potter and no diversity. I spent every summer and fall in VT. I never saw a person of color so VT isn't diverse. So I guess that wouldn't bother me as much as if it were here and only white. Does that make sense? And off topic - Grace Potter just got a new hair cut. It is all 70's long shag. I had that in high school. God I'm old
ReplyDeleteI remember my son being described as a little old man at age five. He is not usual either. But he is a wonderful person. My love goes out to your Dane. Keep him close and well loved. the World may not be kind to him.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I kind of included the Grace Potter for you and Rick. And VT is one of the least diverse states. There was one Black student at the University of Vermont when I was a student there but things are changing.
ReplyDeleteLinda, the world needs wonderful people -- whether the world knows it or not.