The Nest

My girls just have an innate nesting instinct.  They are often building nests, if indoor of blankets and pillows, or if outdoors of cut grass or other soft material.  This was a lovely nest they built on a beautiful summer day.  

Armchair (or Bed) Explorers

Do You Believe in the Devil?

The Junior Minstrels are putting on Damn Yankees this spring, which I am not myself familiar with, but which, my mother informed me, is about a man selling his soul to the devil (oh my!).  At the first rehearsal the kids read through a synopsis and several of the scenes.  The role of the devil (Applegate) is a toss-up between Lee and our neighbor Liam.

On the way home I was asking the kids if they think the devil exists.

I will paraphrase Clara's response:

"Well, Mom, you know when you get tired of life and everything seems dark and you don't want to go on living anymore?  I think when that happens it's kind of like the devil is inside your mind."

Wow.  How old is she?!?

Great Expectations

I must mark down that we recently finished listening to Great Expectations in the car.  Occasionally we would pause to explain some obscure or reference or witticism, but generally the girls kept up with the plot and enjoyed the story.  It took us a few months to listen to all seventeen hours, and I feel a bit empty now, just like when we finished the Harry Potter or Chronicles of Prydain series.

I found portions of it quite tedious, but overall I enjoyed it.  The reader brought the characters to life, and after reading the biographies of Charles Dickens we could imagine him up on stage reading it himself with all the different voices and mannerisms.  I can still hear Miss Haversham's voice as she said "Do you love her, Pip?"

I think both girls will remember bits of this book for the rest of their lives, just as I had vivid images of Miss Haversham dressed in her wedding gown in her rooms (although to be honest I didn't remember anything else from the book).

I don't think it was quite as popular as the Harry Potter books with the kids, but then again it was shorter than The Half-Blood Prince.

Girls in Snow

Nice Bruise, Lee!

A Wee Sledding Incident

The Trauma of the Teeth

Losing teeth continues to be traumatic for Lee.  Clara's lost four, and while they haven't been without a few tears, they've been much easier than Lee's.  Lee has not lost a single tooth without tears and a fair amount of upset.  The other night Bridges pulled one of her incisors.  It was gray and very loose and definitely ready to come out, but it still bled.  She rinsed and rinsed but it was still a bit bloody.  She was shaking and crying and just a mess, and she managed to get out "I feel like I"m being torn apart!"  I lay down with her afterwards for a while to calm her down so she could get to sleep.

Poor thing.  I am so positive that this is not uncommon for sensitive children that I'm not even going to google it.  I just keep repeating to myself, "Ten down; ten to go."