Games My Homeschoolers Play.

Yes, it's true that our homeschoolers are a little socially strange. So happens my students fit the stereotype in that respect, perhaps because Elf is autistic. Or perhaps it's just because we're socially strange. I'll have to admit further that homeschooling these children has led to a number of strange "games" Elf and Emperor have made up and played with each other:

Charybidis and assorted strange games. Not content to simply pretend to be Odysseus and fight monsters, suitors and the gods themselves, we must do odd things like place a duck in the bathtub, pull the plug and see if Charybidis will suck Odysseus and his ship into the vortex. Squeals of glee as the poor duck swirls about and gurgles to the draintop.

The Pushmi-Pullyu game. Link arms and try to be a two-headed Pushmi-Pullyu, just like in the Doctor Dolittle book. Act surprised when something gets broken. Give a pretend demonstration detailing how the animal pees.

The Nathan Hale game. Sneak around the house spying like Nathan Hale. Take turns being the British who decide to have lotsa fun taking his "but one life," complete with sound effects. Sigh.

The Octopus Jet-Propel game. Octopi have a special valve that helps them propel in the water. Wonder why Mom insists the children go outside if they must be jet-propelled octopi careening at full speed ahead!

Sydney funnel-web spider game. Nothing says fun like "the deadliest spider in the world" attacking unsuspecting passers-by. Kill spiders in your room with your plastic light saber while making battle noises and accidentally hitting each other. Claim to have killed several dozen of these non-native menaces. Keep a shoe in your room for just-in-case as well. Argue loudly while Mom is eating lunch about whether "it's dead yet" and, "No, YOU pick it up and see..." followed by loud screams when they figure out it isn't quite as dead as they'd figured...