Sunday, August 02, 2009

It's 8:00...

When I was a kid there were little public service announcements on television in the evenings that said in a somber tone: "It's 8:00. Do you know where your child is?" It was meant to keep kids off the street and out of trouble and enforce local curfew laws.

Summer nights at 8:00 I know exactly where my child is.


Right here. The same place he was before dinner and every minute after he swallowed his last gulp of food and ran back out there. This is our marina dinghy dock, but for Z it's a marine lab. He spends quite literally hours with that net and a bucket or clear container doing his thing.

Catching.


Studying.




Drawing.


And eventually releasing the little critters. Grass shrimp, small crabs, eels, baby fish, jellyfish, and even some mysterious sea creatures.

Sometimes alone. Sometimes with a buddy. But always with an industrious zeal that oozes five year old on a mission.

And of course there's the myriad of dead things (thanks to the great circle of life and an obscenely polluted Chesapeake Bay) that he wants to either poke with a stick or bring home for display like a stinky science trophy.

I have to drag him away long after dark and promise him all the creatures will be there tomorrow.
At 8:00pm, where are your children?

7 comments:

Tan Family said...

Fabulous pics...looks like your little guy gets a lot of wonderful, hands-on experiences living there!

Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish said...

I know that my kids wish they were there (and me, too!) every night at 8pm. Love that horseshoe crab...that's a great find.

Anonymous said...

That is exactly how childhood should be! He's learning so much but to him it probably seems like play.

Little Lovables said...

What fun he must be having! My boys would love that/

Cam said...

CUTIE!!! He will probably have those science journals for years to come, and reference back to them often! :)

Dylan loves to take paper outside and draw landlocked creatures!! I am sure he would LOVE a shot at the sea inhabitants!! I will have to remember to take some along on our next beach adventure.

At 8:00 here, it is finally cooled off enough to be enjoying the outdoors. Usually I can hear the neighborhood children laughing and playing out front. Our house is 'the' house that all kids eventually find a way to flock to.

I wouldn't have it any other way!

wholarmor said...

Maybe he'll be a marine biologist when he grows up!

waldorfmama said...

nature is, indeed, the great teacher...

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