Runaway

It has been a while since anyone has run away in our household, or rather from our household.  Will made a habit of it as each new child entered our home.  He'd pack his suitcase and head up the hill, but never really made it out of our sight.  And he always returned for dinner.  

Recently, we had a new runaway.  She loaded up dresses, white shoes, and some books into a suitcase and headed out the door.  However, she ran the "wrong" way, so we had to follow.

The rescue had all the best elements of adventure, for everyone involved.  First, there was drama as she left and when we found her.  She climbed up into bushes with her airport suitcase until she got stuck.  Will gallantly stepped in with his "sword."  June employed her naturally shrill voice.  John was just happy to be there.

After the runaway settled under a tree, unpacked her stuff with her new assistants and hung it on a branch, we had a great time.  Whereas just minutes before, there were fierce battles and fire-breathing tempers, the energy morphed into discovery, adventure and just laughing around:

• We poked sticks into a swamp, 
• Will fell in a deep part of the creek chasing a catfish (?), 
• We made a game called "throw the rope down the stream and watch it go like a snake,"
• We made up a game called "throw the clothes across the river," 
• We made cattail boats, 
• We studied swallow nests under a bridge.

Every 30 minutes or so, the runaway would cry (with a smile) that she needed space.  She'd pack up and head on down the bike path.  The rest of us would just look at each other smiling and say, "Here we go."

Finally, we ended up in a rather industrial place where the bike path met an office building, a tunnel under a busy street, and stream filled with catails and big rocks and even crawdads.  Jeff met us there for a picnic before we all headed home.

The truth is, following Clara really does often mean following the fun.  By the end of the day, Will suggested that we do this every Friday.  The only condition, however, is no running away.

Dreaming Pigs

At about 2 in the morning last night, John wanted to reminisce about pigs.  "Pig big."  "Pig thleeping."  "Beebee pig."

The previous day, we went to a farm.  A day at the farm with John is... unusual.  John's older siblings humor themselves by teaching animal sounds:  Horses say "moo," chickens say "oink," sheep say "neigh."  But, John is figuring it out, and so we had a mid-night rehearsal.

Sleepily, we woke to fresh raspberries that we'd picked the previous day.  And flowers that we'd cut from rows of color.

Legs

Suddenly, Clara's legs have grown 10 inches.  I don't know how or when it happened.  She became long and lanky overnight.  Today was the proof.

First, all attempts to fit into the grocery cart with John failed.  No sitting in the driving seat up front.  No riding in the place where you put the groceries.  Even standing on the back was a challenge, especially for the drivers.

Later, as we took a neighborhood "walk," she turned into a spider on the tricycle as her knees almost reached her ears.

Finally, all the pants that her cousin passed down actually fit now.  They end at her ankles instead of bunching up like an elephant.

Clara is a runner.  She leaps like an antelope.   And despite my selfish resistance, I can't wait to watch her fly with each growing year.

Away They Go

I am amazed at how quickly we reach new milestones.  The kids get so much smarter and faster and more capable each year than I ever predicted or thought was possible.  I am sure every parent feels this way.  It's like a twisted analogy to Global Warming.

Last summer, I celebrated a dramatic mountain bike ride from Breckenridge to Frisco, filled with thunderstorms, babies (Well, one baby.  Sometimes seemed like more.), never-ending hills, never-ending rest stops.  Then, last week, the big kids biked down from Vail Pass to Frisco and back up to Breckenridge, all in one swoop.

We added stories to our biking lore:  cruising for a record number of miles with out pedaling, eating wild raspberries, June's minute by minute "gear report" from her trailer bike, Clara's frequent stops to tend to her sore bum, Will's "joke"-telling to pass the time (which none of us could hear anyway).  

Driving beside the bike path that follows I-70 for miles and miles, I've dreamed about that Vail Pass ride for years.  Jeff and I divided up the ride.  Drawing straws, he got the downhill with two kids, and I took the up with three.  I've now got it in my pocket to claim the next adventure.

June, John and I met the downhill riders here at Zach's Stop on the Frisco path.   The three of us were quite content:  I had coffee, John slept, and June beat me twice at Uno.

At the end of the ride, the three adventurers' sweet faces shined proud, tired, and content.

Almost

At the beginning of the summer, I embarked with pride on a number of projects. Some of these involved little paint jobs, which gave me such a great feeling of progress and creativity.   Back from our travels, I noticed more clearly the bits that remained undone.

Such tiny bits, they hardly count.  I had such a great feeling of progress, I didn't really care about finality.  To be honest, nor do I still.

Air Band

A great pleasure in our household lately is the family air-band.  It is amusing how it morphs over time to remain cool.  The key is hip-looking instruments and rockin' music.  

Agreeing on the music, however, can be a challenge.  Some want "Ma Mia," some want classical, some want Nellie, and some want whatever the Nellie-wanter wants.  But, if an argument ensues, John's tinker-toy microphone face tends to lighten everyone up.  

The other day when I said I was too busy cleaning the kitchen to join in, Will said, "How can you not do it.  It's so fun!"  He is right.  I promptly joined them.      

I may have to devote another entry to John's lead singer "O" faces.  I haven't yet been able to quite capture them in a photo.

Popping Tomatoes

This summer, between travel and gardening, we chose travel.  We do, however, have a humble harvest of vegetables, mostly tomatoes and basil.   The cherry tomatoes are delicious, but I think I like watching the Tomato-Popper best.