I don’t know how many of you remember Scholastic Books as a kid but if you don’t, they send home from school a catalog every couple of months and you send your order through the school. As it was when I was a kid, it’s a pretty big day around here when the catalog comes home and then when the books arrive. Mark’s most recent order included the latest edition of Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as a selection that shocked me, Barack Obama: Our 44th President.
He has been reading it 20 pages at a time and then I skim over it and we discuss it. We have spent the day discussing racism, politics, whether Barry or Barack is a cooler name, and what it means for Mark to be a part of a mixed family.
He is also checking out the political section of my library. He pulled out Warren Kinsella’s book, Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics and I said, “You can read that as soon as your mom let’s you say ‘ass’”. His reply was to mutter, “You are just afraid that Mom will kick your butt if I read it.” He is starting to understand his parents marriage.
As a father, it’s a lot of fun having these kinds of discussions with Mark and it is another sign that he is quickly growing up.
