Tom cracked out the pasta machine while I was at work. But he wasn’t making pasta.
Neko spent hours flattening and slicing and crafting "Chinese rugs". I'm not really sure what the Chinese rug business was about, but after a while she got out the Chinese dress-up clothes and got really serious.
There’s probably some third-world country child labor commentary in there somewhere, but, OOOH! Back to Play-Doh!
J.B. from the record store informed Tom that Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day. Okay, maybe there were military reasons behind this, but when Tom told this to the kids, it had a whole different meaning.
The task of the day: decorating cakes.
Neko decided to go with a Christmas theme. Her initial concept was with Playmobil, which she mocked up pre-frosting, but then later decided to switch to Rudolph.
Shep, with much encouragement from Art Director Neko, decided to go with a dog theme. A third cake was done for Ellery with Neko's leftover reindeer.
We'll definitely keep in mind the true meaning of Memorial Day, but I have to say, I like this added twist of Decoration Day.
I have come to the conclusion that the seeds I planned to plant in April are not getting planted. I hear that harvest in October us not very successful. So I gave up and planted a few seedlings.
Our mower has been in the shop for a few weeks, and the grass has grown too tall for the mower. Enter Tom and the tractor.
And so we begin our summer cycle of encouraging one thing to grow and frantically mowing another.
With the impending arrival of her cousin Pierson to our neck of the woods, Ellery has been just a wee bit excited. She's been carrying around a picture that Barb left behind, giggling about Baby Pierson.
(Don't worry, Baby Joe, there's still plenty of room left in the spotlight for you.)
The kids discovered the extra canvases left over from The Messy Art Party, and they have been going gangbusters creating masterpieces. Even Ellery is getting in on the act.
Clearly, an actual canvas makes the creation of art FEEL different, and they seem to treat it with more reverence. Now if I can just figure out how to hang them…
Shep has been late coming to art. Up until this point, we've seen nothing but scribbles.
Then, all of a sudden, the light switch turned on.
He began drawing one scene, over and over. Dirt, grass, and a sun in the sky. Simple, but completely recognizable. The other night I was putting him to bed, and I said something about how soon he would be able to write his name. To which he responded, "Oh, I already know how to write my name." And he grabbed paper and a pen, and sure enough, he does.
Typically, I would sigh and chalk this up to an absent-minded parent and a second child, but I've really, truly seen not a hint of interest in art from him. And now, out of the blue, here it is.
This is his latest work, inspired by the book, The Dot, which is (in my opinion) a must-have on any bookshelf.
Painfully early this morning, we left for home. Goodbye to my zen and yoga in the canyon.
But hello to a reminder to maybe take a bit more time for myself, and maybe reclaim a sliver of that zen sometime in my day. To have an appreciation for the small things. We learned from our guides that, strangely, in the midst of all this beauty, this community doesn't recycle or have a good source for natural foods (no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and only a fledgling farmer's market). I find this strange, that in the middle of this natural wonder, there seems to be a lack of appreciation for it.
But maybe therein is the lesson. To return home and take the time to appreciate the natural wonder that exists in your own back yard. Because, as I look around, I see we have much to appreciate.
The whole series of Utah photos exists here.
