One of Henry's favorite places in the world is a patch of asphalt behind CVG... Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. It's a pretty ratty little parking lot, outfitted with some park benches, a few picnic tables and a port-a-potty. The lot is on a little rise in the landscape so that if you are so inclined, you can spend some time there watching the planes land and take off, which is Henry's idea of a perfect afternoon.
He likes the landings more than the taking off... he scans the skies waiting for a jet to come into view and then waves them in even though, as he puts it..."they probably can't really see me down here."
Lily and Rosie don't mind a few minutes of watching the airplanes come and go, but they don't have the same plane watching stamina that Henry has.
I tried to use the planes as a means of getting Henry to think about our whole wide world. Maybe nudge his curiosity about geography and other cultures... social studies stuff...but I just got on his nerves.
"I wonder where all of the people on that plane are coming from..."I wonder where that plane will land? I wonder if there is a kid on that plane who is flying by himself"
My son put his little hand on my arm (to break his disinterest to me gently, I suppose)..."Mom, you can think about the people on the plane all you want but I don't feel like it.
I don't really care where they are going or where they've been.
I just like watching the planes."
I love watching planes, too! I like them taking off, though- and I am also guilty of trying too hard sometimes to turn things into learning moments. So funny- planes are just cool to look at.
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