His Current Obsession

Of course I love my children. And, like most moms, I think they are totally the bomb. But part of this is that there are things I truly admire about them. Things that are quirky and unique and represent something that sets them apart. These things, for the most part, are qualities that I didn't or don't have myself. Like my daughter's sheer will and determination. Or my son's empathy and gentleness. And both of their amazing athleticism (credit goes to their dad's genes on this one for sure).

One thing I adore about my 9-year-old son is his love of reading. When I was a kid I really enjoyed reading but I had a more narrow repertoire. My son, however, will read almost anything. He consumes the Guinness Book of World Records and every sports stat book out there, he's read the Harry Potter books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and finished all the Bone books published. But his current obsession is this:

Yes, folks, that is the Dark History of the Kings & Queens of England: 1066 To The Present Day. This was precipitated by the fact that he and I are traveling together to London in April to visit his new cousin and see some of the amazing historical sites in and around London. But I am shocked and impressed by his interest and his ability to absorb this information. He has put aside his other novel (also an interesting one called Number the Stars by Louis Lowry about the Holocaust) in favour of reading this EVERY night.

To tell you the truth, I am embarrassed to say, I have been to London twice myself in the last 2 years and visited The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and many other sites with only a superficial understanding of the amazing historical significance of these places. So, just like my son, I am learning and I can't wait to finish the book and then visit these places with him armed with all of this knowledge!

Just a little heads-up. History, especially a "Dark" history can be, well, dark! I read ahead to make sure that there wasn't too much sexual or violent content for him to handle. Plus, the drawings and paintings can be quite scary to a kid. The painting of the murder of Thomas Beckett had him pretty freaked out.