Bus Surfing, Dorian Gray, and Loveness

The gang, (7 y.o. No. 1, 5 y.o. No. 2 and 3 y.o. No. 3), are reading "The Picture of Dorian Gray" this week. I hear that the story will become more variated as we go on, but for the moment, it's been easy-going and pleasant. Two somewhat attractive men, one an artist putting the finishing touches on what may be his greatest painting, the other a Lord lounging on a divan made Persian saddle bags are discussing a beautiful man, the subject of said artist's, said painting. This, like The Island of Dr. Moreau before it has sprung from 2's interest in ghosts and zombies, and our library's book group studying Mystery and Horror in Victorian England. So far, it's a blast. We're learning new words, new turns of phrase, and new, albeit fictional and archaic, surroundings.

The gang have also been studying movement. They're working on balance, strength, and falling. Their work has changed our public transit system from a living room surrogate to a gym. No. 1 can grab of bars on either side of the bus at once, and is practicing her hang-time, (literally), suspending herself in midair for ever increasing intervals as we travel around town. No. 3 can't reach both bars, and so has contented herself instead with a form of bus and train surfing to work on balance. Positioning herself on the conveyance as if it were a long surfboard, she puts her arms out, bends her knees, and practices taking the dips and curves.

The gang is still soldering, still learning reading, and still exploring. In the past week, 3 ramped up her art production, highlighted by presenting us with a squiggly, abstract sketch of... 'Loveness'.

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