Last Friday, I took the kids to get frozen custard at this adorable, kitschy little place in town to celebrate the last day of The Week of Unmatched Fun. I was so proud of myself, getting the kids there on my own, not freaking out when they spilled ice cream all over their clean clothes, keeping eyes on everyone by myself, all while taking adorable pictures. I even remember explicitly thinking, "These photos are going to be so good!" I should have known - I should have just assumed - that I forgot to put the memory card IN the camera. So, no photos of Friday, because I'm a giant dolt.
On Saturday, Todd and I made a spontaneous decision to take the kids to The Big Tree. We're not usually spur-of-the-moment decision makers, but we've become more and more flexible as we've had more kids, and as they've gotten older. When they were all little, we almost never left the house if we didn't have to - it was too. much. work. It was so very hard. But now things are getting easier, and we're able to just load the kids up quick and go for an impulsive drive out of town.
The Big Tree is estimated to be 350 years old, and is absolutely massive. It has weathered age and multiple lightning strikes, as well as the vandalism of countless irreverent hoodlums. It absolutely garnered our respect and awe, and we were privileged to get to marvel at it for a while on Saturday morning.
Can you see us under there?
Penelope found a caterpillar, which she loved and named Fuzzy, and which freaked Rocco out beyond all reasonable comprehension.
On the way home, we stopped at a roadside fruit stand, where I met a guy who not only hailed from the tinyyyyyy town in Iowa where my grandparents are from (population: 950), but actually knew them well. His father-in-law performed my uncle's funeral, and my grandparents babysat his kids. I am always amazed at how many Iowa connections there are down here, but this was by far the closest connection I've come across.
After getting home, I took the girls out for some mani/pedi fun time. I had promised Penelope if she'd stop biting her nails, I'd take her to get them painted. Well, then Laurelai wanted to go. And instead of just fingernails, why not do toenails, too? It ended up being a whole thing. But I'm glad it did, because it was so fun!
Monday, we jumped back into a normal week of school. This has been such a good routine for us - during school weeks, I don't hear nearly as many complaints of boredom, and Laurelai lays down for naps in the afternoon, which are both wins. But on break weeks, I don't hear complaints about having to do school, and Laurelai gets to stay up to play with the big kids, which are also wins, so it's nice getting to alternate.
On Wednesday, we headed up to the Amish like usual. Unlike usual, I was on assignment from a friend to find some laying chickens. When I found a great, but urgent, deal on some, I somehow found myself with a cardboard box full of live chickens on my front seat for the entire van ride home. The box had a lid (thank goodness) but it also had large air holes in the side (also thank goodness) and every so often, a chicken would stick its head out of a hole and give me the stankiest stank eye you can fathom. I think, because they were Amish chickens, they were judging me for wearing a tank top and driving them away in a rubber-tired Devil's Wagon. I was mostly glad to hand them over to my friend when we got back to town, but the kids did beg to keep one... and if we'd had a place to keep it, I might have caved. Luckily, we still have the turtle to fill the pet-shaped hole in our family.
We also ended up with a bunch of peas, so I set the kids to shelling them while I made dinner. I'm currently reading a book that stresses the importance of keeping your kids close to you more often throughout the day, and I've really been noodling on whether I actually need as much personal space as I think I do, or that I'm told I'm entitled to claim. It was nice having them near but occupied, and even Rocco was a stunningly proficient sheller.
Other than that, this has been a pretty normal week. We have big plans to attend BaconFest this weekend, so look forward to that review next week. What are your big plans for the weekend?
2 comments :
i really like our life. i always look fwd to being home or out and about with you and the kiddos. time spent with y'all is time well spent! quality time is a product of quantity time.
Will you do a review of the book when you are done? I read one like that a while back and it is good to have our thoughts challenged!
And my 7 year old son would say chickens make great pets :)
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