Rock To Wind A String Around

We’re on the first official jaunt of the summer.  Last week was filled with fifty-eleven appointments:  at the orthodontist, with the homeschool assessor, the cable guy, etc.  Any holes in the schedule left time for some ‘to-do’ list items for EOR and ETSS.  This morning we took out the trash, turned off the AC, loaded the car and drove to DC.  Always a long trip, it also always seems a good deal longer than you remembered while you are in the midst of it.  We brought the Penderwicks of Gardham St to listen to, bought a new lap desk for AM and turned the backseat into a jumble of crayons and paper and sudoku books and wikki sticks.  The drive was still amazingly long and boring, but the noise from the backseat was more muted thanks to all of the fripperies that helped to create a sound barrier.

Pops arrives in a few days to whisk the boy away on his 2 month long ocean voyage/Florida vacay–the extra belongings needed for this trip made the Subaru even cozier.  Life on the sailboat calls for a bicycle and a rip stik,  as well as a million bathing suits.   We did the bulk of the packing yesterday, and  for the first time ever, Elliott neglected to pack a stuffed friend for the trip.  Just one of a zillion little instances that will break my heart into bits as my sweet boy grows up.  Last night, I order a box of books to arrive from Amazon just before the Wild Dog Moon sets sail.   I ordered a few things I knew Elliott was eager to read, and then I added the Wrinkle in Time books to the cart.  It seemed like he was old enough to be interested and I knew his reading skills are were up to the task, but still, all of those L’Engle books seemed like tales designed to entertain the older child, not my sweet tot.  In the end, after a chat with Albert, we agreed that he’ll love them and so they stayed despite the ache in my heart.  2 short years ago he was just mastering Frog and Toad.  Now Astrid Meklit owns (and adores) the F & T books and Elliott has moved on to meaty chapter books that keep him enthralled for hours,  I’m so happy to be raising a voracious reader, but really, it’s all going by in the blink of an eye…

This week, we’re finally going to squeeze in a trip to the zoo (it seems the weather will allow it this time) and then we’ll let Elliott choose the rest of the activities until he departs, even though this means another  trip to Air & Space  is inevitable.   My friend Amy recently wrote so beautifully about the anger and frustration that so often accompany parenthood and her desire to parent more lovingly.  As the weeks roll by and I’m the only adult in sight for days on end, the balance is so often tipped–less laughter, fewer games, more grouching and impatience from me (at both little people, but at the bigger much more frequently).  This week between Elliott’s two lives will restore some balance, I think.  More games of Othello (complete with singing–my signature defensive strategy), more unhurried meals, more museum fun might help erase the lingering bad taste of the last few weeks.  As the boy sails away for 60 + days without us, I’d like to think he’ll look at his life from afar and think happily of the life we share, not think happily that he’s managed to give us the slip.    I know that as he grows, this push/pull of early adolescence becomes more powerful,  but I hope that somewhere, lodged deep in his brain, is the unconscious memory of my indulgent smile, of a love too powerful to name.

Joy!

Yesterday started with a parade.  We  saw old friends. bloggy buddies, and shriners.  It was awesome,  Observe:

waiting

a really big flag approaches

elliott takes a parade break to pose

...the shriners, Astrid Meklit adored them!

The weekend went by in a flash.  i’m so happy we packed so much into it.  Albert is gone for a short week and then we’re off to DC together.  We can hardly wait!

We slipped to the art museum on Sunday, to see the Egyptian exhibit before it leaves town.  Check out all the great art we saw:

sleeping statues

Abyssinian statue

Elliott in his blue period

the best mummy on display

kinesthetic sculpture

Saturday found us an hour away from home, at the 35th annual Velvet ice cream festival.  Held at the Velvet ice cream factory, we visited the museum, ate some free ice cream, and participated in some wholesome midwestern activities, observe:

sack races for one...

wheelbarrow racing

and all

water balloon tossing

walks in the pasture

and tumbles too

We’ve been busy here in our corner of the universe, observe:

A zoo trip (with our good friends, S & D)

D and his best friend, Elliott were inseparable

wild animal at the zoo

the boy in his zen-like rasta state…

someone (I don’t know who) thought this might be the ideal hairstyle

jeez oh peas…

it’ll grow back soon, right?

The boy is pleased, Albert is encouraging, Astrid was initially terrified by the change, and I am very eager for the growing out process to commence.

Ethiopian Orphan Relief, Inc. has signed on to sell Ethiopian goods at the Day of the African Child in Portland next month, but we are woefully low on girls clothing.  If you are traveling to Ethiopia in the next 3 weeks or so, could you do a little shopping for us?  If you aren’t traveling but know someone who will be (a fellow blogger, perhaps?) please send our plea along.  We sold a good many of our items at the Lights of Hope Auction and the shelves are a bit bare.

EOR is happy to send money with you, or we can reimburse you once you’re home.  If you choose to donate items, the donation is fully tax-deductible.

Thanks for your help, internets!

a laundry list of unrelated things:

> My mom left yesterday after a 2 week long visit.  many things are hemmed, the children have been read to and played with extensively, and it was delightful to have company for two full weeks.  Today, Elliott was asked to load the dishwasher.  He collected items from around the kitchen but refused to put my mom’s glass (with her signature straw) in–he wanted to leave it so we’d remember she was here.  We all miss her already.

>  The water in the basement problem has returned.  After last summer’s joy we thought we had tackled the problem completely, but last week, I ran down to the basement to turn off a few lights and it smelled a bit damp.  A little investigating revealed peeling paint close to the original problem.  The check for the new tile backsplash has barely cleared–now we will write another big one so that men with jackhammers can make holes, noise and dust in our house.  The carpet is fine, but more drywall/painting work is  in our future.

>  We’ve begun discussions about cutting Elliott’s fabulous hair.  We all love his dreadlocks, but wish they looked neater–the locs definitely emphasis the straight hair he has–it won’t be tamed into any of the locs no matter how we try.   As we edge closer to summer (and Elliott’s summer adventure with Pops) a haircut and a growing out period away from home seem like a reasonable plan–we’re early in negotiations and we welcome comments about his ‘do.

> As mentioned, the fifth annual summer adventure with Pops is about to begin.  Unlike previous summers, this time Pops would like to take Elliott for about 8 weeks.  I can’t imagine 8 weeks without my sweet boy, but a sailing adventure is on the docket, and it will take time.   (Pops lives on his sailboat).  Safety measures will be implemented, and I know it’s a trip of a lifetime, but I wish it was a good deal shorter.

> Astrid was sad (and verbal) about my trip to Portland.  She’s been much clingier since I returned, and a bit more manipulative in expressing her displeasure and insecurity. She was happy to have my mom here, but  I can no longer leave the room for a second (to answer the doorbell, retrieve the forgotten cup, or other requested item) without AM unless I want to listen to crazy out-of-control crying/wailing/sobbing for more minutes than I care to count.  I feel terrible that this 3 day trip left her so anxious, and I’m trying to be both patient and reassuring, but really I want to run screaming from the house whenever she shrieks–let’s hope this passes quickly.

And finally, and  perhaps most importantly:

There’s a good chance we  will not be moving in the foreseeable future.  While this entire plan has seemed like a done deal for months, our move may be tabled until the end of the year, or it may not happen at all.  Ignoring completely the mountain of money we’ve invested to prepare for selling, I am devastated.  I really like seeing my husband each day, even if it means moving my kids across the country every 3 minutes.  Nothing is set in stone, but this appears to be the direction the wind is blowing.   Oy

Just call me Merry Sunshine…