Photo by Leo KimIf not previously mentioned, Ezra has moved on to a self-prescribed Gun Unit. He knows more about guns than I ever thought possible. He knows about their triggers, mechanisms, ammunition, etc.
I thought there was nothing less interesting to me than rockets. But I was wrong! Guns. . . I am *so* not interested in them. And yet Ezra gives me mini-lectures about them daily.
There are days when he seems a little nutty. But I just found a photo album of "Peaceful Kids with Toy Guns" on Sandra Dodd's website. And it makes me feel better!
Anyway, luckily this interest has other branches. He is now very interested in the Civil War (something I just claimed I wouldn't teach him about for years. . . oh well.) He really wants to become a hunter now, and kill his own food. And also he has decided that instead of an aerospace engineer, he now wants to become an inventor. He invents dozens of guns every day (and then either explains them to me verbally, or draws them out and tells me to ask him questions about them.)
So, I'm just hoping the Gun Phase will be no longer lived than the Rocket Phase. . .
Hey, at least he's not talking 24-7 about the merits of different Lego kits, which is what we get around here. Ezra's interests are so amazingly technical and in-depth. But yes, I can imagine it does get pretty dang brain-numbing for you. Still, what a great job you're doing of nurturing such a self-directed, motivated learner. How DO you do it?!?
ReplyDeleteGee. . . thanks. How do I do it? I don't, I think. We just go to the library and he asks the different librarians every week to find him books about guns, war, weapons, and hunting. They always act a little nervous.
ReplyDeleteHe also interrogates people who know about hunting, like my dad and Kenny's friend and co-worker, Evan. That is apparently where he learned all these crazy facts about different triggers and mechanisms on the guns.
Oh! I'm jealous about the LEGO kits, though they cost money. What does Bridger recommend for Ezra? :)
Oh, I've SO been there with my Ezra. Bombs are next. The rambling about bombs that I've had to endure. A friend made me feel better about it by pointing out that he's not really interested in mass extermination, but rather the science behind something that powerful.
ReplyDeleteWe're in an activist stage at the moment with the target being factory farms. Thanksgiving with my family should be quite interesting.
Emily
Emily, oh thanks for posting! I was just thinking about your Ezra and thinking, "how did she get a kid who cares so much about dead birds?" When my kid likes to pretend to shoot them. . . *sigh*... but you give me so much hope! For us, too, it's definitely about the power and the technical aspects of gun parts and explosions, etc. At least most of the time. . .
ReplyDeleteI hope activism is in his future!
Oh, do you have a blog? Cuz I'd love to hear about your family's thanksgiving being ruined by a factory farm expose' - or will Ezra be providing a humanely raised turkey? (Or tofurkey?)
One of our reasons for getting Ezra a kitten was b/c we wanted his heart to have something to feel really mushy about when he hears about death and destruction. So far, so good! He is obsessed with the cat. Hmmm. . . forgot to post about the cat, too. . .
No blog. I'll try to update you, but yes, we'll be getting a heritage turkey (one that, you know, can breed without help). Ezra would prefer no bird at all (though he's fine with eating humanely raised bacon and pepperoni - just no birds).
ReplyDeleteEmily