these days

Let's see if I can remember the last few days...
I guess I got used to being away from the computer when I was unplugged, huh?

Hmmm..

We've played and ventured with MoonSand,
which evolved to prehistory recreation (with storytelling - I love my children's imgaginations)

and eventually to the volcano play.  Without extinction, of course, Trevelyn is very weary of mass extinctions.

We spent some time on a coin game - Maddie went to twenty-five with a six-sided die, and Trev went to 100 with a ten-sided. Whatever their die landed upon was what they took out of the pile - and Trev upgraded coins as he could, ending with four quarters.  He liked the game once he got the hang of always watching for the more valuable coin upgrade.

We've read, and read.

And played MadLibs.  

There was sunshine and warm,
and crazy winds,
trickling, drizzly rain,
and now there is snow.

We've made apple, peach, and berry turnovers.  yum....

walked to the store for special ingredients (strawberry cupcakes, mmmmmmm)

and we've tidied up and made messes.

There was a sleep-over at Grammys (successfully! ~ and... how odd to only have the Originals in the bed...)

Since then The Cousins (three, this time) have been back here, and there has been just about everything, I would say.
Wild, wild laughter,
Godzilla -on the wii - (Trev discovered the "unlock" code -Godzilla Unleashed- for characters on Toho Kingdom - you know all that research I'm always talking about??  Well, he is thrilled to have every character and city, now)
Let me also say here that I've loved seeing this - even if his research is mostly Mario stuff and Godzilla - he still reads pages and pages of dry material - production team stuff, history, creators.... and because of this, not only does he read remarkably well, but he knows how to find out information.  Some might say that it doesn't matter - that Godzilla doesn't fit into the world as fundamentally as division or adverbs, but I think it's very important... he is learning how to figure out what he wants to know.  He is problem solving, finding resources, and learning the how and why of things he is interested in.  I know that if he can learn this - completely on his own, as I've never helped him with this (he doesn't need me to), then he will have no qualms about finding information on the hows and whys of anything.  He is learning to navigate -- and that is the entire purpose of education, isn't it?  To navigate through so we will be well-prepared to live a rich and fulfilled life? 

fort building
more MoonSand
a floam disaster
puppy play
chasing
lego building

magnets

trampoline bouncing
hat making

a musical parade

animal creating (and evolution)

and now they're waking up in another deliciously warm puppy pile.

I wonder what wondrous things today holds....

april twenty-six

The children began their day today out jumping.
And with a bit of Godzilla play.

Mama needed the computers and television off for a little while, so Trev and I sat down with a new book (we finished Peter Pan the other day) and read the first half - six chapters - of H.G. Wells story The Time Machine.

Cousin called, and wanted to play DinoRun, so Trev got to play with her while chatting on the phone.  Always a favorite, that.

There was dirt.

And cars.

And watermelon.
And canteloupe
and digging
and transplanting
and idea sharing
and maintaining

and fixing.

And there was something like....
Captivation.
And
-following suit-
Capitulation.

"Eric..."
"Yeah, babe?"
"Turn around.  When you see those bright, green, (thrilling, mesmerizing, captivating, nodding, enchanting, swaying, speaking) Glowing Things... do you just... Stop.  And think, 'Wow.'?"
"Uh...They're nice."
I looked at him.
"Um.  Yeah.  I mean... they're great.  Yeah."
My look wasn't accusing, honest.  But it did answer my question.
"What??", he then asked.

To the forefront of my mind comes...
something that looks like
a quiet,

reverent,

gasping,

sighing...

"Oh. 

"Oh, my."

That's how I feel today, friends.

An
extended,
swept up
drifting
romantical
impossible
thrilling
cherished
-and cherishing-
Appreciation.

For this soft breeze.
This first strawberry flower.
This beginning of Calendula.
Bare feet.
For this warmth.
For this Big.
And this Strong.

And this family.

For this life
and this Love
... and This.
The all of it.

The everything.

I
am
grateful.

the last sunday in April

"Mom.... how is it that you thought my Godzilla wii game wouldn't be here until Monday or Tuesday - from Kentucky (he also wanted to know the particulars on where, exactly, Kentucky is) - and it got here today?"
I had expedited my laptop cord order, but not the game, and it was coming through the U.S. mail.  "Did they fly it?"
"Uh... I don't know.  I think they only fly it if it's overnighted, as it would be expensive, I would think.   Maybe train?  Does the USPS send things on a train?  I've never seen an official mail car....."  (And wouldn't it have to be 'official'?)
I really had no idea how it worked. 
So this morning -before Little Son woke up- I got to do some research on how the U.S. mail works.
Is it weird that I was fascinated???  I suppose it might be weird that I didn't know how it was done...
Turns out that mail by train was cancelled in 1967.  They used to tag along on passenger trains.  The Santa Fe lost like $35 million in annual revenue when they canceled.
So I found out about distribution stations, and roads, and that mail hooks can actually be patented.  I mean... of course they could, but it's a funny thing to think about... the first "mail hook" patent.  Not something I've ever considered.  And that the trains were often travelling at 70 mph or more when it happened.
And finally I got to see how the mail is actually picked up by the train's hook (mail delivery for no scheduled stops), and find out that the attendant actually kicked the mail out of the train - making sure to kick it hard enough that it didn't get sucked under the train.  Fascinating.  lol.  I got to share it all with Trevy when he came in for morning loves.

Maddie is loving NetFlix.  Bolt, at the moment.  Though ScoobyDoo has put in an appearance, as well as Clifford.

wiiiii.  ScoobyDoo.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been thinking "architecture".  We have a few buildings downtown that I'd like to explore, and when we are downtown we like to look for gargoyles and grotesques.  Yesterday I sent an inquiring email to our local catholic cathedral - The Cathedral of the Madeleine.  I also found out, suprisingly, that the second building I wanted to visit - our State Capitol, was open to viewing. 
Last week we drove right past the capitol (only a few feet away) and while it is situated in our city so that it is viewable from a far distance, we don't usually travel close.  The other day when we were driving with my mother, she drove right past it.  Trevelyn was awed.  He was very enthusiastic about the size and stateliness of the building - so of course it put the idea of an upcoming visit into my head.
Sunday seemed like a good day, as I didn't suppose there would be a lot of people there. 
It was... magnificent.

*  *  *

On the way home we stopped at Liberty Park for a few minutes - EarthJam was going on, to celebrate Earth Day.  We stayed long enough for a ride in a car, and a snowcone and icecream.  That was enough for us - with the promise that we'd come back soon and play.

To home - for reading and snuggles and jumping and play.

We get another day all together today - a leisurely 'at home' day.

A friendly day of blue sky and sunshine.  ' Can't wait.

 

april 24 : girls day out.

out.

out, out, out.

 
yep.
we were Out.

under a warm, friendly sun.
a settled wind.
with green glowing things
under
over
and
throughout.

not so different from
Yours,
and Theirs.

but somethings wonderful,
and exhausting
and dirty
and thorny
and stubborn
and invasive
and beautiful

-to be grateful for-
none-the-less.


so, so tired.
'til tomorrow, then.