Michelangelo Watch Out You've Got Competition...

I was cleaning out Gabriel's school folder the other night when I found this drawing. I looked and wondered if I was really seeing what I thought I was seeing. I asked him who all the people in the drawing were. He said the big person was Mrs. ____ (His teacher). Hmmm, so then I asked what are these here?? "Her boobs!" Yikes!! How the heck am I supposed to address that one?!? I braced myself as I asked where he was when he drew the picture, and was VERY relieved when he answered Nanny's house. I could've used a warning on that one Nanny. :+) I'd never be able to show my face at school again if he'd been there. I told him he did a great picture, but shouldn't draw boobs anymore. Stephen and I had a good giggle that night after all the kids were asleep. He keeps us on our toes.

This morning during breakfast he held it up and asked, "Mom do you like my picture?" "Yes" I answered, "but you probably shouldn't draw boobs." "But, I wanted it to look like a reeaall person, Mom." Deep breath, respond carefully, don't crush him for life, don't discourage observation of the world around him, don't make our bodies seems like a shameful thing, don't make him feel embarrassed, how to respond, how to respond....

"That was a good job adding details to make it look more like a real person, but you'll have to be careful how you make people look real because sometimes others won't understand it." He answered, "Oh, Ok." I watched his eyes because they are so expressive I would've know if his feelings were hurt. All was well with his eyes....I don't know if my response did damage or not, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

To an outside observer he looks like a semi out of control (or sometimes a fully out of control), ill behaved, wild child, but this boy doesn't miss much. I don't know how he picks up on so much through all the wild, but he does. We have to be very careful around here. Before all the early intervention started working this kid was totally checked out of the world around him and we could do or say whatever we wanted with no worries. Those days are definitely over... and that's a good thing. If we can get his wild channeled in a productive way and he can learn to tap into that wild for his own benefit he'll be very successful at whatever he wants. If not...well... there just can't be an if not.