Adventure Mom

I have been called an adventurous mom. Which I often find ludicrous, as I find that the reasons that I am considered “adventurous” are some of the main reasons I had kids in the first place. I love new experiences. I love doing all sorts of things; I love exploring new things, different things. I take my kid (now kids) to museums, overnight camps, theater shows, etc. I like sharing my love of things with my children. I hope that they learn something, either about the program/event that we are doing, about themselves, about life in general. I at least hope they gain a curiosity of the world around them.

I think that Michael has a great capacity for learning. He is a sponge and it makes me proud that I have a least a small part in shaping his interest in the world around him.

Two recent situations reminded me of this “adventure-some” spirit.

Through Cub Scouts, I was e-mailed details of an African choir (local Zimbabweans) singing at the church that holds the monthly pack meetings. I took note that it was this Sunday, but since it even said on the e-mail that it was not a religious event, I thought it would be a singing program. The invitation was for everyone, and if our Cub Scout came, he was to wear his uniform. We packed ourselves up and went this Sunday. Into a church (remember, we are atheists. Okay, atheist and a cultural Jew—definitely not ones to be in a church on a Sunday—I felt like hissing like a cat or vampire). The choir was going to perform during the church service. At that point, my husband was motioning to “get the hell out of here”. But, being Adventurous Mom, I decided we should stay—it’s a good experience to see what others do on a Sunday, right? (and, being in his Cub Scout uniform and us with an infant, we kind of stood out already). And I am happy to report that we had a good time. We saw the choir; the hymns included “We Shall Overcome” and several traditional African songs. There was mention of the strife in Africa and of civil rights. And then my son went down with the other kids for a bit. To talk about the bible—they asked how many stories are in the bible. Whereupon my son said “Six Hundred and Sixty-Six?” (Fully knowing why he was saying that). We stayed until after the priest’s sermon (which was actually good). Were we converted? No. Did we learn something? Yes.

The other thing that happened was this morning. I saw that the Museum of Science is sponsoring Tall Ship boat tours of the harbor this summer. It’s a 90-minute tour on a boat in the harbor, talking about the Tall Ships visiting the harbor. On the web site it said “not recommended for children under 3 years old” “if you have an infant in your party, please call for reservation”. So, I dutifully called. I wondered if it was a safety issue. I wondered if it was an issue because they wanted you to pay a certain amount for the infant. No. They did not recommend it for infants because “they would be stuck on the boat for 90 mins and would not be able to get off for any reason”. Umm…okay…I guess I am an Adventurous Mom, cuz I really don’t see a reason that that would be a problem. I mean, Willow, at four months, traveled in a car for hours on end. I think she can handle a tour boat.

Sometimes being an Adventurous Mom is just knowing that the world is out there for you and your children to explore. Not to be afraid of.