Clearly we all need to be getting a little more sleep. One 30 minute drive, and two of the five us were out cold.
There would have been two more, but some of us were being “responsible adults.”
Category: Neko
-
Chicken love
This girl loves the chickens. Especially Fluffy—those girls have a special thing going.
The first thing she does in the morning is let the chickens out of the coop, and she puts them to bed last thing at night.
This afternoon I spied them on the patio, hanging out together in the sunshine, and my heart lept. I had this sudden notion that this is exactly where she’s supposed to be. Doing exactly what she’s supposed to do. There’s so much right about her in this little slice of time.
-
Out-thunk
The other night we watched Life with the kids. Neko sat, eyes glued to the screen, absorbing every moment. She carefully explained some parts to Shep, helping him understand the trickier concepts.
At one point, they talked about a snake that lives in a sea. The snake has a bit of a problem, as it lives in the ocean, but the eggs require oxygen to survive. The snake resolves this by finding an air pocket below an island, and lays her eggs there. When the baby snake finally emerges, it instinctively makes its way back to the ocean. A bit confused, Shep asked what instinct was.
“It’s like you have a map in your head,” Neko explained. “And an animal knows that in order to survive, it has to follow that map.”
“That’s kind of like my memory,” Shep added. “My mind takes these pictures, and then when I need them, my brain projects those pictures back out through my eyes so I can see them.”
And then they went back to watching the program.
Tom and I sat very quietly, staring at one another. Because, really, there’s not much to say when your own children are having more complex thoughts than you are.
-
Happy anniversary
Nine years…can you believe it?
-
Drawing at dusk
These children have a knack for beginning the most creative and inspiring activities about three minutes before bedtime.
Tonight Shep and Neko gathered their sketchbooks and pencils and headed outside. I think they’ve been inspired by art class at school, where they made their own sketchbooks and now are hard at work filling them.
Shep did a great rendering of the high tunnel and Neko did this drawing of the chicken coop.
And then we peeled them out of the back yard and tucked them into bed.
-
Family bike time
Tom decided to go out and ride his bike, and he invited others to come with him. It was 6:30pm, and we all rode bikes up and down the driveway enjoying the perfect weather.
Hooray for getting outside, especially on what was mostly a dreary grey day.
And then Neko dropped her new horse on the concrete and we had to end bike ride time in the name of plastic horse surgery.
-
Uncle Jeff visits
Jeff came to town this week. The kids have been super-excited to see him, so it’s always a fun visit. As a special bonus, he took them out to buy birthday presents, since he wasn’t in town for birthday season.
Shep got this hex bug on steroids, complete with remote control. Neko got this horse and trailer (inspiration courtesy of Horseland), and created this still life and demanded I take a photo of it.
Thanks for visiting, Jeff, and maybe next time we’ll get YOU in the photos.
-
First day of school
What a ridiculous photo. My kids refused to take a picture unless Mercy and Marin were in it, and then Shep starts sneaking out of the frame.
-
Neko avoiding bedtime
I was outside taking pictures of the chickens, when Neko appeared. I said if she sat still for one minute, I’d let her stay up for five more minutes.
She begrudgingly agreed. But really? She just wanted to play with chickens and repeatedly leap off the porch.
-
Theater camp
Neko has some severe stage fright. Despite the fact that our house is a non-stop production of theatrics and singing, every time school has a performance, she never wants to go.
When I heard about a week-long theater camp happening this summer, I ignored it. No way she would want to go. But then I found out all her friends would be attending, I felt the pressure to sign her up.
So she went. And loved every minute of it. The whole week was filled with workshops and projects and loads of anticipation for the big night. She was downright giddy, a way I’ve rarely seen her with organized activities.
The big night was fantastic. The kids all did great, and were thrilled to get their flowers (thank you Nancy), accolades, and after-party snacks. All the grandparents were in attendance—and a special bonus visit from her former teacher, Erin.
Neko is already asking when the next play is. So, um, maybe Nature Girls have a Nature Theater where they put on plays as well?