Skating night is always a bit if a frenzy. No matter how on time we are, it’s a flurry of getting the right size skates, lacing, and scooting kids off to the right classes.
And then unlacing, and turning in skates, and somehow convincing kids to walk in a straight-ish line to the car so we can all get to bed at a sort-of reasonable hour.
In the wee hours, long before most of you get up, this household is already in full swing. This morning Neko decided to teach Shep and Ellery about dinosuars.
Election Day is upon us. And, yes, I voted. And, no, I haven’t bothered to check on the election results. I’m not sure if I want to know.
With Election Day comes a day off school. I mulled over what to do with this wide open day. I contemplated play dates or laundry. But then I decided that I wanted my kidlets all to myself, as it happens so infrequently these days. I scooped them up in the car, leaving the laundry and the mess behind us.
Off to the museum we went. And we stayed all day. ALL DAY. I’ve never done that with my children…anywhere.
As I drove home, I marveled over several things.
1. We took with us no stroller, diapers, wipes, extra clothes, or special food. We walked in with nothing but our coats, chucked them in a locker, and went off to explore.
2. I’m at a museum with readers. Okay, early readers who make a lot of mistakes, but readers. They stop to look at plaques, finding the name of an animal or to see who this bone belongs to. We’re no longer whizzing through exhibits at light speed, but we’re stopping to look and actually learn. And when someone is getting too crazy on the antique street car, I can point to the sign that says, “No running or jumping on the street car.” See? I’m not the bad guy. Talk to the people that make the sign.
3. We made it through an entire IMAX documentary. The whole thing, people. Ellery was a little wiggly, but Neko and Shep were completely entranced. Everyone was so focused that I can actually tell you what the movie was about. Go ahead! Quiz me!
4. I took off my mom cap for most of the day. I was telling Neko tonight that it was kind of like hanging out with my friends. In the past, a trip to the museum is accompanied with much sighing, corralling, and ultimately an exit that involves tears. But today we talked and laughed and pointed at things. I think the kids were actually skipping as we left the building. It was downright fun.
I feel like one of those “it gets better” videos, but to all the mamas stuck in the trenches of diapers and time outs—it gets better. Suddenly they’re walking and talking and laughing and responsible for their own things, and you get to relax a bit and marvel at these amazing kids who sailed into your life.
Despite the fact that everyone looks grouchy, they actually had a spectacular time in the corn maze. Neko grabbed the map and took the lead, as I nervously told Tom to make sure we knew where we were going. I am one of those people that could be stuck in a corn maze for weeks. Even with a map.
Neko grew tired of leadership halfway, and instead puttered on about the litter she found. “I can’t believe they just left it here in the middle of this field. And it’s even STYROFOAM!”
We passed on the whole picking experience, and went straight to the farm shop where the kids picked out absurdly big pumpkins. I have no idea how we’re going to carve them. (I’ll think about it tomorrow, Rhett!)
And then they all got what they declared their very first caramel apples. Is that possible? Have we really been that restrictive?
Okat, it might be possible. Dig in, kids.
Shep is completely obsessed with old school video games at the moment. In an effort to lure him away from spending too much time in front of a screen, we’ve been devising ways to channel his obsession into other avenues.
One night I had this realization as we were playing with Fuse Beads that each bead could easily represent a pixel, and before I knew it, we were on our way to recreating the Namco collection, all crafty-like.
I have one excited five-year-old on my hands.
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.
We’ve been having a cold spell. Every now and then a warm day peeks through and I feel like we have to enjoy every instant of it because the winter will be here before we know it.
I needed this moment at the end of a long day.
Nine years…can you believe it?
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.
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.