Maximum Effort and The Strong Show

These days, Clara can best be described by Maria Montessori's "maximum effort" stage of development. In other words, she is finding her gross motor skills and turning them up a notch. Her favorite combination is carrying her cotton parasol WHILE pushing her grocery cart. If you try to relieve her of one or if her brothers tries to streamline her setup, she promptly screams and forcefully body checks you. With fixed concentration, she re-arranges the chairs at the art table or insists on carrying a basket full of board books up the stairs. She makes these physical challenges for herself and then applies her maximum effort to them. Ask her to show you the sign for "Self do it." The photos above show us getting our winter manicures, a gift from my sis and Lucia. Clara's color choice was OPI pale pink. The color was called "Holy Pink Pagoda!"

Our flim choice for yesterday was "Swiss Family Robinson." We chose it because Geoff is reading "Treasure Island" with them. They are reading the abridged paperback that was part of the library back at 1610. Anyway, we thought, "Shipwreck, family working as a team, cool tree houses, fighting pirates-- a total score on many levels!" When I heard the brown-skinned pirates speaking Tagalog, I was kind of alarmed. And the reprecussions have been a day full of discussions of making bombs from mangoes and coconuts, sling shots and traps for tigers. Geoff and I were fully expecting this. After all, we chose the film. I offered my prepared comment, "Well, if you fight with guns and swords, you will be hurt by guns and swords." To which Benici promptly replied, "But if you hide in a safe place and just throw bombs, you won't, Mom." Wow, he DOES have a point. Anyway, it's that awkward dance-- "Yes you are a boy. We know senseless violence is fascinating to you. How can I NOT emasculate you but have you value human life?"

With the stage that Geoff made for my party, we have enjoyed numerous after-dinner dance parties. One variation has been the boys set chairs up for an audience then go behind the curtain. Then they open the curtain to reveal certain heavy objects like chairs and toy strollers. Then they proceed to lift or hoist these objects onto their arms or into their grasp-- all the while making this very deliberate and penetrating eye-contact. The audience gasps and oohs over the number of objects that can be lifted at the time and they applaud loudly with every added chair or stool. Then they take their bow and go through the audience, inviting them to touch their biceps. This is called "The Strong Show." It is unbelievable how serious and truly mighty they believe they are. Four and five, their assault on the life has begun and will not be stopped.