Embarrassing Music

“Mum, that music is so embarrassing!” declared Master Ten, winding up his window as we were driving into town.

What the heck?! We weren’t even in the vicinity of anyone hearing, we were driving on an 80km straight. And since when did the roles reverse?

It seemed like only yesterday I wrote about Master then-Five embarrassing US with his music. Here’s an excerpt:

I must say, they have good taste. Admittedly all the music is mine and the Jump Around one’s a bit embarrassing, especially when Master Five insists on rolling down the window 

at the lights and turning up the volume.

Apparently he did this to his father, much to his horror.

“We were going through Cameron St Mall and someone opened their window and turned up the music really loud,” he reported when they returned.

Why is he telling me this? I wondered. Teenagers do that all the time.

Then I realised he was talking about our son.

To be fair, the song I was playing this week wasn’t too flash but I’d left my ipod at home and resorted to an old cd found in the glove box.

We were on our way to visit Kiwi North at the time. Miss Seven’s Brownies was spending the day at the museum in preparation for ANZAC day and visiting the Kiwi house at the same time. I decided to take us all up there for the day. The boys, usually at odds with one another, bonded over this, being surrounded by ‘disgusting’ girls and all.

Master Seven is at an impressionable stage where he will gauge his response to most situations off his older brother’s. The two of them spent the first part sniggering away in the corner until we entered the Kiwi house where they lost their inhibitions at the first sighting of a kiwi.

The Kiwi house, itself was fascinating. Despite there being around 50-plus children, they remained in a unanimous silence as all eyes stared transfixed to the glass windows. Inside, two kiwi were scurrying around in the dark going about their business, seemingly unaware that over 100 eyes were watching their every move. Adding to the thrill, it was feeding time and we got to watch as they hid from the man placing their food by the glass windows and as soon as he left, emerged, coming right up by us to eat.

Once back outside in the light, the boys resumed their pink-cheeked giggling in the corner before we headed into the museum to look at the impressive ANZAC display.

Then it was home time so, to the boys’ horror, I wound down the windows and cranked up my embarrassing sounds as we drove past all the girls.