Such Drama!

Have I mentioned (lately) that I have a... rather dramatic son? If I call him a drama King, he says "I prefer dramatically gifted."

He was recently in a play called "A Midsummer Night's Midterm". Not only a take-off on Shakespeare, but it attempts to explain it (very funny) to kids. My English teachers will be horrified, but I've never liked Shakespeare. Actually, I can't stand it. No, not completely true - I adore the Reduced Shakespeare Company's productions of just about anything.

Most kids, myself included, stand awkwardly on the stage or shuffle feet and can't wait to get off the stage. My kid eats up the attention. Which is very strange, since he is almost as much of an introvert as I am! How can this be? At what point do we notice what our parents and teachers, etc are saying about us... and believe it? "Oh, she's the quiet one/ the good one/ the brain/ the artist..." My son refuses to fit into any neat categories. He'll "be" anyone on stage, but he won't dress up in a costume for Halloween - at school. At home, he makes his own costume and hams it up as we trick-or-treat with his little sister.

When he and his dad clash, I notice it's usually over expectations. His dad has them. Alex doesn't. Clash. I'm learning that you really can't assume anything about kids. It's kind of a relief too. I've always believed that you get what you expect.  Maybe I expect too much from my kids, but I like them, so far.