Across Country

 

Across the country we sent a birthday package.  Containing lots of handmade goodies including cards and a note written by a Japanese student who is visiting here.  I asked her to write Happy Birthday and she wrote a whole paragraph and then translated it, on another piece of paper, into English.  Also, in the box was a package of local salt water taffy and a water color.

It was fun doing the watercolor.  First we all came up with 21 adjectives that describe the birthday boy.  Then Eli painted a full page watercolor painting.  I cut the paper into small strips. I was just going to put them randomly on a piece of ribbon but noticed how cool they looked when placed almost back together.  We all wrote a few words so everybody's handwriting was represented.  Then I taped them onto the ribbon into a chain of colorful words!     

Rain, Rain

A letter came in the mail from Barbara Kingsolver.  She is busy working on her new novel that should be out soon. 

Emily is knitting a scarf.  She started that on her own.     

As part of the theme at school, Eli is building a pin ball machine.  I keep wanting it bigger, out of wood n'things.  He prefers the Cheerios box.  A kind of Gallimoto.

Emily has a new curling iron.  Look at those lovely curls.  

The rain has come.  Such a dry, warm winter and now the rain is here.  It's provided the chance to do things inside.  Knitting, building toys, trying out new hair styles and reading.  Kind of nice and my garden is fairing okay.      

Simply Celebrate

On the morning of Eli's birthday party he got a letter from his big brother across the country.  A long letter with some bark from the native trees and a local rock.  He sat and carefully read that letter.  When asked if I could read it he quickly replied, "No.  It's for ten year old boys."  He added the "boys" to ensure that I wouldn't say that I've been ten before and therefore am authorized to read it.    Also, there was a big box with a super cool, new Lego set.  Can't beat that.  Well, maybe having
  him here would be that.  He did get to talk to him on the phone and as he did he walked around the house kicking a ball.

When I asked Eli what he wanted to do for his birthday he kept answering the same thing, "Hang out with my friends".  I would ask if he wanted to go to the beach, have a fire, go skating or mini-golfing.  Nope.  Just hang out with friends.  So that's what it was.  There was a lot of laughing, tag, running and wrestling.  One of his presents was a big, big box and in the box was another box and another and so on.  All wrapped.  Then in the smallest box was a brick and next to the brick was a beautiful gold envelope and in the envelope was a special season's pass to the local amusement park.  We laughed and laughed.  A rousing game of night tag was followed by sugarless mixed berry pie.  Just as requested.  It was surely delicious!