Every fairy should be well fed.
Hope your summer has been beautiful!
Category Archives: outside
What’s a mother to do?
Ninety degrees, no breeze and humidity so think you could cut the air with a knife. The house full of the plasterers/painters which means you and the boys can’t be there, relaxing and enjoying the two wimpy window air conditioners that try to cool your little house. Your choice? Drag them all off to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, of course.
A brilliant move, at first. The newly reopened visitor center was cool and full of interesting stuff. Happy boys watched birds at the the feeders outside the window, checking out the exhibits and asking a million questions. Should we go for a hike? YES!!
We started off okay. We checked out a backpack full of goodies and picked a shady trail. We enjoyed the view, and set off into the woods.
And then what shall forever be known as the Great Compass Battle of 2010 broke out. The boys were hot, tired and the mosquitoes had found us. Their mama was dragging them off into the woods and now it was discovered that there was only ONE very awesome thermometer/compass in the backpack. And it had a clip to hang it on your belt loop. If you know boys, you know that there is nothing better than something that can be clipped onto your belt loop. And that is how just two minutes later this peaceful hike turned into bloodcurdling shrieks in the middle of the forest.
Math Boy gave in right away, realizing it just wasn’t worth it and went to look for snakes. Knittykid and Spinner fought to the bitter end when I was finally able to convince Knittykid that there was no possible way his little brother would ever give in (he is almost two, after all, and he bites) He tramped off in a huff. We made it another 50 yards or so and at that point I realized this was not the day and wisely convinced them to head back for and early lunch.
We ate and headed back into the city to play with friends and nap in a shady park. Reminder for the day to myself: don’t push it mama! Not every adventure will be an idyllic outing and that’s okay. No sense in forcing what’s not meant to happen. Enjoy the little moments and move on to something else. Your day will be the better for it!
There is a reason.
There is a reason that the Skeptic and I don’t sit down often in the middle of the day to have a conversation. At least we don’t sit down for more than five minutes. But after a long day at work we were a bit delusional and thought we could. Math Boy and Knittykid were playing in their new fort in the back yard. Spinner was toddling around the house minding his own business.
So we sat. And chatted. And had a very nice conversation, uninterrupted until the two boys came inside, Knittykid saying “happily, look what we painted!” While Math Boy hid his hands and tried to run upstairs. Their hands were purple. Their clothes were purple. And outside?
They wanted to paint their fort. (You’re looking at the logs from our poor maple tree, lost in the tornado last summer and waiting to be cut up for either firewood or backyard play materials.) It’s not much paint; I think they stopped before going too far, realizing that this was probably not as good an idea as it sounded. What blew me away was how they got the paint out of the cans. Got a guess? Go ahead, think of a good one. If you’ve been reading this blog long enough you should know by now it was not with a paint can opener.
Got one?
Ready? A pitchfork. Bet you didn’t guess that one, did you? Makes perfect sense, right? Because, “We couldn’t get the top off Mom, so we just used a pitchfork!” (To poke a hole in the top, of course.)
I am thankful for their creativity. I am grateful for their innovation. I am in love with their spirit. I am blessed with an “idea guy” as the ringleader for my rowdy little trio. And that is why I don’t sit down for more than five minutes, as least not until they are all asleep.
And tonight we will remember to take all the paint out of the garage.
Filed under kids, outside, Uncategorized
Spring Break
It’s for exploring the river with Grandma and Grandpa.
For watching trains.
For tiring out.
And yes, because it’s the Midwest, checking out a giant (world’s biggest?) sunfish.
Knittymama 