Classic Ethan Revisited

As I was getting the mail on Friday, a parent of one of Ethan's friends in his class (the incomparable Maija-Liisa Nyborg Adams) rolled down her window and asked if we had "coached" Ethan to add the "character" to his presentation.  I told her that Eric and I had been as surprised as anyone and that we hadn't even known that he had carefully planned all of his ad-libs ahead of time.  She smiled and said, "Well, he had me at 'paper-clip!'"

When we asked Ethan what his teacher thought of the way he had spiced up the presentation, he said, "She said it was great!"  He then explained, "I told her I wasn't trying to be a jokester or anything. . . I just wanted to make it more entertaining!"  

When I reported the day's events to Eric, he just laughed and said, "Well. . . that's definitely OUR son!"

For family members who like to be dragged into this sort of thing, Maija-Liisa made what we think is a better recording and  I've posted that one here.  (THANK YOU, M-L!  You are my favorite blog-tographer!!!) He's a little more nervous than he was for the first performance, but you can see him a little more clearly. . . You can tell that the audience doesn't know what to make of him.  Ahhhhh, Ethan!  I'm so glad we "get" him (in all of the senses of the word)!