30 April 2010

Today is my last day at work. Lots of "last times" today - last time to walk around at lunch, last time to see the beautiful old stone buildings here, last time to feel historic, last time to enjoy my window view, last time to walk with my coworkers here at lunchtime. It will also be my last time to drive across Government Bridge on my way home today, but I'm not feeling nostalgic about that. Government Bridge is scary, especially when a train goes across over your head while you're waiting to cross. Alas, I did not get stopped by a barge for the last time on my way in to work this morning.

28 April 2010

At our house we occasionally engage in exclusionary practices. Yesterday Rose Pink's friend Makayla was over to play. I happened to overhear their conversation upstairs.

Makayla: Let's invite Nut Brown to play with us!

Rose Pink: Oh, no! No! He can't play with us!

Makayla: (puzzled) Why not?

Rose Pink: Um, he's sick.

Makayla: (skeptical) He is?

Rose Pink: Yes- he was, um, playing with some orca whales, and they splashed him, and he got sick!

Makayla: (dubious but not entirely understanding the explanation) Um, okay.

22 April 2010

We are trying hard to believe that it will be summer eventually. It has been lovely and sunny but still just a little chilly for me. The kids have been spending days outside getting dirty and playing nonstop with the neighbor kids (3 yrs & 2 yrs). Here they are helping me water the flowers tonight. Aren't the daffodils and hyacinths from the bulbs I planted beautiful? In a vacant lot out near our house we found a nest with four eggs in it and a busy mama bird. Tonight when we walked out to check on it the mama bird went CRAZY and it turns out that three of the eggs had turned into baby birds. A lady who lives close by was curious why we kept coming back every day to look at the lot next to her house, and she came out and exclaimed over the babies with us and told us that the bird is a killdeer. Indeed, mama was doing her best wounded bird imitation to get us to go away. I don't know if you can see the babies in the photo below, but there are three of them and one egg left. I was much more impressed with them than Rose Pink and Nut Brown were. Kids these days. Sorry for the lack of posting. The closer we get to moving, the more anxious we get! Send love and good wishes to our kids- they're feeling the brunt of it.

14 April 2010

At night I sing to the kids after they get in bed. Usually they get to choose two songs each. Here's how it normally goes:

Me: Okay, those who are in their beds will get to pick songs! Better get in your beds! (this is usually directed at Nut Brown) Two songs each tonight!

Rose Pink: Two for me and two for Nut Brown?

Me: Yes. What do you want to sing, Small Stuff?

Rose Pink: deliberates and chooses a song. Lately the following have been popular: She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain, Master The Tempest Is Raging, There Is A Green Hill Far Away, Greensleeves, Reuben Reuben I've Been Thinking, Battle Hymn of the Republic, If You Could Hie To Kolob, I've Been Working On the Railroad.

Me: Nut Brown, what do you want to sing?

Nut Brown: folds his arms and says, Hmmmmmmm.

I always try and wait him out, but I never succeed! Eventually I start suggesting songs, and when he hears one he likes the sound of, he says yes. I think it's how he gets me to sing songs he's never heard before. They both will often ask for the same song over and over for weeks, and then drop it and want something new. Nut Brown knows all the words to "Clementine".

One of the other great things about bedtime is that Rose Pink talks to me about random things. I know I was the same way at bedtime with my mother when I was growing up. A couple nights ago, she asked me if she was going to get The Friend forever. I explained that when she gets older, maybe 11 or 12, we'd subscribe to The New Era instead of The Friend because it would be more interesting to her when she got older. She told me that she wouldn't mind a couple more issues of The Friend but when she turned six she'd be ready to get The New Era instead. We'll see!

Last night after we'd sung Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, she said, I'm afraid of dying, Mommy. I told her that dying isn't a permanent state- it just means that your spirit doesn't have a body for a little while, and you get to go stay with God and Jesus until you're resurrected eventually. She wanted to know where our bodies would be resurrected, and I said, I guess wherever they're buried- I don't really know! Then she wanted to know if there were flowers in heaven. I told her I thought there would be, and that I think the place we go after we die is a wonderful place. She then sighed and said, "I'm not ready to die, and I don't want to die, but I am interested to know what heaven is like!" I love her so much!

5 April 2010

I drove five hundred miles around Detroit last week in this: to find this:

Three bedrooms, two car garage, and backyard with a picnic table.