Once a month for almost a year now, Mike and I get together with a group of people and give 5-10 minute reports on any topic with a visual aid. (You can read more about that here.) While preparing my report yesterday for April's Report Night, Jackson asked if we could please have a Family Report Night. So less than an hour ago we wrapped up our very first Family Report Night. It was awesome.
Jackson asked that Dad or I would start in order to show how we do it, and I was the winner of eeny-meeny-miny-moe. Mike and the kids (minus the year-old, sleeping Helen) gathered on the sofa with popcorn and I pulled up the ottoman for the "reporter" to sit center stage. Mike went over the rules: no talking when someone is reporting, and no getting up and walking around. The kids were both great at keeping the rules.
My report for our "adult" Report Night was on the artist, illustrator, and storybook writer, Shaun Tan. Since he is the recipient of various awards in children's literature, I thought it an appropriate topic to do for the family. Beginning with a collection of his artwork on power point, I finished by reading the short story, The Nameless Holiday. I cannot recommend that story enough, or the Shaun Tan storybook it resides in, Tales From Outer Suburbia. ) The central theme of the story is about relinquishing what we hold most dear. When the story was over I said that I often like to imagine what object I would choose to give away. Immediately Jackson said, "I know what I would choose: Snoopy." (In case you don't know, Snoopy is the the special stuffed dog Jackson's had since he was two years old.)
Jackson went next. He held up a drawing of Ben 10 characters drawn in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He passed around the visual, and then he mysteriously held up a yellow balloon. He said there were three pieces of paper inside, one for each of us. He then took out his pocketknife and popped the balloon. Pinata-style, Elaine grabbed up the papers. We were instructed to read what each one said: Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force, and Ben 10 Ultimate Alien. This was his creative way of introducing the three Ben 10 tv series he follows. Needless to say, we loved his balloon idea! He was so poised when he reported, as if he's always done this sort of thing.
Elaine was adorable. Before we began she asked for papers and a pen to prepare her report. Mind you, Elaine is not quite three-and-a-half and cannot yet write. But she knew exactly what she was doing. She sat up on the ottoman with her two pieces of paper and said, "I do two ones. This first is a picture of a meebling. And this one is a picture of a meebling with two eyes and a mouth." (Meeblings are from a computer game Jackson plays here.) And then she hopped down. Jackson asked, "What kind of meeblings are they, Elaine?" She said, "One meebling be pink. The other is yellow." Again I say: Elaine was adorable.
Mike went last. Wisely opting not to use his report from last night (on 10 of the most disturbingly bizarre people on the planet), he did his report on the Bible. Instead of sharing a specific Bible story, he explained how the Bible is a big book with 66 little books inside, divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. He also explained how the books are broken up, including the Gospels. Jackson was very proud to interject the Bible facts he already knew, such as the names of the four Gospel books.
In short, we had a really great time! We decided that we will do this the Sunday night after each month's adult Report Night. Months ago Mike said he wanted to find a practical way to instill our values of creativity and intelligence into the kids. I think we found our way. But long term goals aside, it was just plain fun!
