Iain and Steve had their first guitar lesson tonight! My father (a professional musician) took Steve shopping for a used guitar when he was up for Easter and they brought Iain along with them, which I thought was absolutely adorable, but I’m sure they didn’t feel that way. The lesson went well and they learned how to play “Skip to my Lou”.
While they were have their lesson, the little boys and I hung-out at a co-op near by. There was a man there, preforming Celtic music on the recorder, so we got to have our snack along with a show. We ran into some friends and chatted a bit, picked up a couple of items I forgot on the grocery list this week (Elijah carried the basket and was very pleased to be of help), and picked out some seeds for the garden. I got a lettuce mix and rainbow chard. Elijah picked out cucumbers for making pickles, big pumpkins for jack ‘o lanterns and miniature zinnias for his own little garden. He was delighted when I showed him exactly how big they would be. Then the boys played in the playhouse while I stood outside knitting and watching through a window. They have a wonderful playhouse with two floors and books and toys and beautiful murals painted inside. It was nice watching them play, just the two of them together. They don’t get to do that very often. It is a very different dynamic. When we left, Galen kissed each of the little animals he had been playing with goodbye. On our way out the door we ran into some of our neighbors and he blew them kisses the whole way out. These kisses where well received and happily returned (unlike the man reading the paper in the waiting room, who kept trying to ignore the small child jumping up and down in front of him and growing ever more desperate for recognition “bye! bye? BYE! byeeee?!?)
4/2/08-We had a bit of an adventure today. We were due to meet Seal for a visit to the Grandmother Tree, but the backwoods proved too icy and treacherous. We cut across Jeff’s land and headed to Seal’s instead. We found a long line of moose tracks and followed those for a bit. We were gathering up supplies to bring in the day’s sap when Elijah called my attention to one of the strangest sights I’ve ever seen. There was a tufted titmouse hanging upside down from the branch of a sapling, bat-like, a mere foot away from him! It let go with one foot and just hung there dazed. Elijah said he saw it fall from a tree. The day was quite windy and we are honestly not sure what happened. It didn’t stir, even when we approached it. We ended up gently removing it from the branch. She never fought or struggled. After a while, she started to perk back up. Her little tuft went up again and she accepted a drink of snow. Eventually she flew from Seal’s hand to a branch right next to her and a bit later she flew away. We helped bring in the sap, visited for a bit and headed home.
We spent the evening that the library. Steve had the children in their section, but every once in a while, Galen would come to me to say “Mommy making loooom” and check on my progress.
4/3/08- Back to Seal’s this morning to let out the birds. The stream was so deep and swift today. It was pleasant out, so we stayed and played by it for a long while, “fishing” and making shapes in the water with sticks, then watching the shapes shift and flow away.
Galen has appointed himself as Iain’s cheerleader during reading time, “Sound out, Eee-ohn. Sound out!”
4/4/08-Galen has been calling pine cones pinecorns (like acorns).
4/5/08- Elijah is a puppy dog named Rosebud today and Iain is his owner.
4/6/08- The puppy game has been further refined. Elijah now has a name associated with each season. In Spring he is ‘Bluebell’, ‘Rosebud’ in Summer, ‘Maple Leaf’ in Autumn and either ‘Snow Dream’ or ‘Snowdrop’ in Winter.
4/7/08- We went to the New England Aquarium today. The sea turtles and the seals were over-whelming favorites. I don’t know what on earth inspired me, but we tried to go to an IMAX show that they had. Galen was miserable and Elijah asked to leave a couple of minutes in! I took them down to the lobby where there were big windows over looking the docks, with a view of the planes flying into Boston. We watched the planes and boat, fishermen pulling up crab traps and seagulls scooping up crumbs. It think it was much more pleasant, and far more child appropriate (!) then the movie. It was a sweet, quiet time together, in an other-wise over-stimulating day.
I love reading the little notes from your days. Galen reminds me so much of my little guy- blowing kisses and greeting everyone we meet. He currently loves to “huggle” (hug/snuggle) everything- animal toys, babies, the fish in the sushi bar fish tank…