I am writing this from a poor connection (think dial-up) while flying to California--so please excuse sloppy formatting...
Over the weekend:
- Sam was attacked by his stuffed animals. Or they attacked him. You be the judge. He was pretty happy about the whole thing. It's easy to forget as an adult how much fun a Saturday morning can be!
- We went to Eastview Mall and engaged in Sam's two favorite activities there: riding the carousel and buying a votive at Yankee Candle
- We went to a birthday part for a school chum, Ethan, at the Science Museum. I've blogged plenty about the museum (not Strong Museum of Play), so you know my mixed feelings about it. Turns out they throw a good party, though. Way better than the zoo or any of those bounce-it-out indoor-gym-with-carnival-balloon-ride places. In two hours they built catapults with cups and spoons and rubber bands, petted a tarantula and other assorted creepy things, made slime, and watched a demonstration of how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen (easy and delicious!). That demo included their screeching in fear/glee when drops of lN2 were sent skittering their way on the floor.
- Re-visited, this time with mommy, the animatronic dinosaur exhibit
- Ate cake, of course
- Didn't get a headache!
Other than that... Sam had a great babysitter weekend--a really good time with Sara Friday night (he was hopping up and down in excitement when she arrived) while we were at small group, and another three hours with Corinne Sunday late afternoon while we went to a fantastic lute concert by the best lutenist in the world, Paul O'Dette (fun fact: born and raised in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus).
(He's a very engaging performer, too, with a good sense of humor. The first piece he played had a title something like "Can't Keep My Wife At Home", the lyrics to which he said were unprintable. Those were bawdy days, they were. We also learned that the greatest composer for lute, John Downland, was likely a double agent while in the royal court of Denmark. Apparently England made much use of its musicians as spies because of their travel and access.)
Sam had a fantastic time with Corinne as well, and they passed them time making another booklet. In this one a pony with a magic multicolored tail has an adventure, and chooses/finds a new home. Today, Susan tells me, he's working with her on a book about a Lava Monster.
Sam's starting to realize I am gone. On previous trips, less so. Last night while lying in bed reading him a bedtime story I told him I'd be away. He suggested I bring something back for him. The words "well, maybe I could" were barely out of my mouth when he suggested a new marble racer. I responded that a piece of chocolate was more likely. This morning he grabbed an inconsequential toy (a tiny eraser shaped like a killer whale) and offered for me to take a picture of it to remember him by. I offered to actually take it and he looked aghast. A picture was a much better idea!
Jon, if you are reading this, you should know Sam's also been having a great time with the Mighty Beanz you lent him a long time ago. :-)
One last story: This morning on the way in to school we were stopped at a light by an abulance. Sam noticed the caduceus--the symbol of the snake wrapped around the staff--and asked about it. I started to hunt back in my memory for Greek tales of Asclepius when he blurted out that he knew where it was from--the story of Moses and the poisonous snakes! I like that much better as a basis for the symbol, and was amazed he remembered it. :-) He asked me if that story was true, something he's been asking a lot lately. And who can blame him? The picture Bible looks like a comic book and we are also reading stories of ghosts and pirates and monsters, so it takes a little discernment. When I said yes, it was true, he pointed out that Jesus told some stories which weren't true--by which he meant parables. I think it's neat that he's making that distinction.
Okay, that's enough for one post! Say a prayer for Susan as she single parents...
First, a shot of Sam wearing a wreath of hearts while sticking out his tongue. I have no explanation for that aside from his being five.
Sunday, Jim Smith and his two boys joined us for Sunday dinner. Emily Smith flew to Haiti yesterday with a team from our church. They will be working on rebuilding a Christian school destroyed in the earthquake.
It's February break this week, so Susan and Sam will have no shortage of time together this week. I may even take a day off, depending on whether I decided to hoard all my time for a possibly imminent sibling for Sam.
Other than that, not much. Sunny and 50s on Friday (got to see the lawn again!), upper teens and a howling wind on Saturday and cold again today, with half a foot predicted by morning.
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