Last night, my son semi-excitedly asked me if I want to watch a meteor shower.  That day, I was pretty ragged, not sleeping much because of computer problems I’ve been having for the last few days.  I could have said, no thanks son, I’m too tired… but I didn’t, and here’s why!

• It’s rare that my son ask me to do things with him, so when he does, I try very hard to make it happen with him.
• There are only so many meteor showers during the year, and if it’s overcast or the moon is too bright, then there are even less opportunities.
• It’s a great frugal activity, we just sit in a couple of chairs each of us wrapped in our own blankets (if it’s cold like last night) and just look up in the sky and joke around.
• Letting my son come up with a plan and following it through, helps him build his confidence and makes him feel more like a leader and decision maker!
• It’s actually kind of fun to see the meteors zip across the sky!  In the half an hour that we were out there, I saw about 10, and my son saw about 30.  At one point, he saw three at once!  His eyes are faster than mine so he’s able to see and react more quickly.

After having such a great positive experience, the next time, I think I’ll make popcorn and prepare some warn beverage if it’s cold like last night, perhaps hot chocolate and hot tea.  If time permits, perhaps we’ll even build a campfire in the backyard.  Starting a campfire is one of his favorite things to do.

-MR