In retrospect...

... perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to encourage Younger Son to juggle for our friends when we visited over the weekend.

Somehow their 4-year-old daughter got the idea that it was okay to throw things in the house.

Sorry about that.

Catch me if you can

Younger Son is much happier now. You might say, he experienced his own renaissance.

When the renaissance fair came to town, I asked if he'd like to go.
"Can we call it my birthday celebration?" he asked.
"Dude. You got a pile of presents and a cake last weekend. What else do you want?"

What else, indeed.

With all the events and attractions at the fair, Younger Son felt pulled to the juggling tent time and again.

While watching adults and children alike trying out all the colorful juggling toys, the juggling matron scolded a child for playing with her juggling pins. "You are not allowed to toss those unless you can juggle three balls proficiently!"

Younger Son and I looked at each other.

He had been wanting juggling pins about a week after he taught himself to juggle. The husband and I had looked around, but could not find a set anywhere. (We don't shop on-line. Just can't pull that trigger.)

Normally a shy child, Younger Son boldly walked straight up to the juggling matron and told her he could juggle three balls. "Could I try the pins?"

She pointed at a basket of balls and demanded he prove it.

As easy as riding a bike, he tossed the balls in the air, round and round, under one leg, behind his back...

"Okay," she nodded. "That's pretty good proof."

Ta-Da!

Younger Son (age 10) had his first public performance tonight.

He juggled in front of his entire Scout pack at the last meeting of the year.

He'd been working hard trying to come up with different tricks... one-handed, bouncing one ball every other toss... and the latest trick he decided to teach himself just this weekend: an under-the-leg toss.

*groan*
The hooooours of "Watch this! Wait, that's not it!" over and over and ooooover...
That's great, honey, call me when you can catch it every time instead of just once in a while, 'kay?

*sigh*

So, his den leader introduced him tonight.
Standing in front of all the little Tiger, Wolf, and Bear Cubs, he looked very confident. (He looks good in uniform, anyway...) For once, he was the older, wiser, more experienced kid in the crowd.

And he had everyone's attention all to himself.

He started to juggle.

Oooo!

And then one-handed.

oooOOoo!

And some thing that looks really cool but I don't know how to describe it.

Coooooool!

And just when I thought he was out of tricks, he pitched one ball under his leg... and caught it without missing a beat!

Dude!

I jumped up with a WHOO! and then realized no one else was making a sound.

Come on, people!
THAT was friggin' AWESOME!
Dang it, he'd made it look too easy.

For a grand finale, Younger Son tossed the balls into the crowd one by one.

Too late, he realized the kids thought they could keep the balls, and he had to run around confiscating them back.

His first public appearance.
He did good.

That's my boy!

Shoot. Me. Now.

Younger Son (age 9) has a new hobby: juggling.
He can juggle three tennis balls indoors without breaking anything.
Which is pretty darned good considering he only started practicing last night.

But all day today has been this:

"Mother, watch this!"

"Mother, come watch this!"

"Mother, can you watch me?"

Followed by:

"Wait, that's not it."

"Whoops, I didn't mean to do that."

"I just did it a minute ago. Hang on."



Soon to be ammended with:

"Mother, do you know where my tennis balls went?"

"No, dear. Not a clue."


Thbbbt!