Growing

Recently I have been thinking about how much we are growing, in many different ways.  Both boys seem to be sprouting.  I looked at Owen's feet a couple of days ago and I swear they seemed 2 sizes bigger than the day before.  I guess they are like plants and all the sun and the rain makes for a rapid growing season.  

In addition, we are all growing in non-physical ways.  Kids here are more independent.  Plus, we have found that the parents from the Green School are a bit more hands off and we have been seeing both the pluses and the minuses of it.  We are struck by the sense of competency and confidence that our kids are developing.  When someone isn't there to point out the hazards, of which there are many, or show you the way figuratively it forces one to rely on oneself.  As parents we are also becoming more comfortable with allowing the kids to adventure a bit more solo.  Today, Henry and Owen and several friends headed down a path away from our friends house where we were celebrating Sarita's birthday to go see a monkey that was chained up on the road.  They were far out of our sight, walking out to the road and going to see a monkey and we said okay.  I did set some parameters. 1) Put your shoes on. 2) Don't feed the monkey. 3) Don't touch the monkey and 4) Be careful of cars and motor scooters.  They seemed to have a great time, no injuries and met the owner of the monkey and came back with stories about the monkey.  

Both boys are also becoming quite confident swimmers.  It is amazing what daily swimming does to the learning curve.  It is exciting to see Henry swim all the way across the pool.  Owen is now diving down for diving toys and having more fun playing in the water with his newly gained confidence.  


This weekend we did another hash run and it was amazing seeing Owen lead the pack and Henry keeping up along narrow, muddy rice paddies, and small, slippery concrete walkways along waterways and up treacherously sleep jungle slopes, pulling himself with roots and vines. It was like a scene out of Romancing the Stone but my kids were Indiana Husband-Meyer.