Parallels

Trev went skiing today with his daddy.
Every time Eric asks him if he wants to go, Trevelyn says "As long as we can get chicken and french fries and hot chocolate!"
So off they went, not with money for fast food, but with plenty of snacks and lunch in tow.
The day passes with Maddie being mad that she's left behind, and me getting current with my blogs and searching out dot-to-dots to print out for Trev.
Upon arriving home, (after I get off the phone with Melissia) I go seeking Trev to find out how his adventures went. He proceeds to tell me of the miserable time he had. (I knew that they had a Fine Time, but Trev felt it necessary to tell me of the hellish parts first.)
"Well, (sigh) I didn't see the squirrel that was running across the road!" Knowing my son, I immediately knew the whole of the story...Daddy says "Look, Trev, there's a squirrel running across the road!" and Trev says "Where? Where!?!" and then becomes very sad and mad that he has indeed, missed out on such a fine opportunity.
"Oh my goodness. How disappointing for you. That was a bad thing that happened. I'm sure you were very sad. What else happened today?" his mother asks in a cheerful but empathetic voice.
"Well, (long sigh) I was going down the hill, and I crashed...."
"Into a tree? Into a hippo? Into a polar bear?"
"No. Into the ground!"
"Oh, my."
"And there was this restaurant."
"And you coulnd't go?"
"No, they had French Fries, but we didn't have any Money!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Sounds like you had a terrible time! Maybe you should have stayed home with me!" Expecting him to emphatically deny it.
(sigh) - he does that alot. "Yeah."
And then Eric pipes in with "Don't give him any ideas!" :)
By this point I'm thinking that his woes have reached their limit.
"Was there anything Good that happened today?"
"And then my hands got really, really cold!"
"Dear me."

Eric then tries to remind Trevelyn and inform me that they Really Did have a great time today.
I, of course, believe him.
For the next little while he climbs on and off my lap, alternatively sighing and complaining, and then by the Unprecedented Hour of 8:00!, he is crashed out. This is the child who outlasts us all, and crawls into our bed or the pallet next to our bed at 11:30 or midnight.

Eric and I are here in the den eating dinner while he tells me His account of the days activities. I'm sure I must have had the most horrendous, smarmy smirk on my face! as he's telling me of how when he just let Trev be, he did really well. " It was when I tried to teach him that things got frustrating and awkward! "
and then
"He did really well the first two runs, and seemed to be paying attention on his own to the way things work, and then the third run I figured I'd give him directions, to help him, and he just starting getting frustrated and mad!"
Huh. Imagine that. :)
I, of course, being the benevolent, oh-so-helpful soul that I am pointed out the parallels, and Eric got a little annoyed, and started explaining how of course it wasn't at all like unschooling, and that it was two different matters entirely. And then the more he explained... the more it seemed useless to argue the point, I'm sure to himself as much as it was to me.

Most interesting.

And now my husband is annoyed further because I've spent too much time on the computer, especially so since he has just finished rinsing out poopy diapers.

I'd better go show some wifely concern for his well-being.

G'night.