Yay, Emmett! That camp sounds very cool. My older nephew loves his summer camp so much that he cannot be bribed to miss a day for anything, not even for his grandparents. The promise of candy and movies and toys and fun only get the response of, "But, we make rockets and ride horses!"

Psst, Jilli, Perkins "Natter 36: But We Digress..." Jul 1, 2005 10:50:46 pm PDT

Circus skills build so many positive values: trust your partner, trust your body, be strong, bounce back, overcome pain, have fun. Next week is either juggling or clowning.

Wow. Way to go, Emmett, with the mad circus skillz!

I'm actually very jealous. Not that I could do anything like that at this stage in the game, God knows, but I wish that I'd had the chance to develop said trust in other people, my own body, yada yada yada when wee. I've got an awful lot of NOT trusting to overcome by this point. In drama exercises, the people who can just close their eyes and fall off the stage in the conviction that we'll catch them? Utterly boggle my mind. I cannot do that. I mean, even if I were thin enough for squishing them flat not to be a valid concern.

...and somehow I've turned this into mememe, which was not my intent.

Go Team Emmett!

Go Team Emmett!

Part of me wants to say it's not that big a deal. He's like those 14 y.o. gymnast or tennis prodigies who don't know doubt because they've never felt it. But that's not exactly right. He did get his nose broken this year and came back. It's weird to think he's only 8 (almost 9 as of September). That's still so young. But the really cool thing? Is seeing all the other 8-9-10 y.o. kids doing circus skills. How to say it...uhm, they can do so much when they're challenged. Their capacity is so much greater than you think it should be for that age.

nodnodnod

Am sad that we are now Perkins-less for the weekend! Boo, Alaska! Boo!

Also, boo, nosebleeds! Boo!

Hec, should I get a fringe?

I bet you're asleep now, aren't you? Damn it. Hmm. I want my bob fixing so it's properly angled and short at the back (which is what I'd wanted in the first place, but as my Arabic doesn't stretch to haircut vocabulary, I was prepared to accept the straight bob I got last time I visited - I mean, it's less than a tenth of the cost of a UK haircut, so I'll deal - but this time I'm armed with PHOTOGRAPHS. Yes. Ha) but I'm not sure about getting a fringe.

I used to have a fringe (bangs? Do you call it bangs?) a decade ago or so, but not since. Hmm. It takes SUCH a long time to grow out.

Hmm.

I tend to think it would be a Bad Thing, but when you wake up I'd be grateful for your thoughts.

Fay, with your face shape, I'd vote no.

Good. Yes, thank you - that was my thought, but I'm not very good at visualising these things.

Well, Perks, if it's any consolation, Alaska's pretty much going under financially. I mean, all the airlines are hurting but Alaska's *really* hurting.

He's like those 14 y.o. gymnast or tennis prodigies who don't know doubt because they've never felt it

I don't think this is an age thing. I knew doubt and "I can't" sort of self-defeating thoughts by that age. I think some people are just not predisposed to doubt themselves, and haven't had anything happen to change that. Others, like Emmett, have had challenges (like getting hit with the ball) but don't consider doubting themselves and fight right back in. It's an amazingly good ability to have, not just for athletics.

Or Athletics. Go A's! Although they are beating up on not the strongest teams. Looks like Beane wasn't insane to sell Huddy and Mulder; Harden's everything they said he would be. Now if they can just get Zito's head screwed back on, and bring their bats alive...not bad for a rebuilding year.

Of course, the A's seem to always need spring training to end sometime after the All-Star break.