Piapie

Building Their Childhood

Having showcased Papi Chulo's work yesterday I realized that I never got around to showing you all last summer's masterpiece.  Inspired by playhouses we had both seen, he scribbled out plans on moving boxes still in the basement.  Soon he was at work making the very playhouse I wished I had had as a kid. 

While Papi Chulo built the house, the girls and I worked away at our parts.  The girls painted small canvases to hang on the wall.

I sewed up some curtains and a banner.  Found baskets to hold the kitchen supplies.  We painted it bright and cheerful.

There is much play in that little house.  They play "House" and "Market" and ambigious games that have no names.  I foresee sleepovers out there and clubhouses with passwords in the coming years, long after they have moved beyond the current role play.  I see this space in my children's memories, long before those memories have even been made. 

This little building is more than just a structure in our yard.  It is something around which their childhood is being built. 

We Saw

For the past few months the girls have made a variety of requests to which our reply has been, "Well, we'll see."

Well, this past weekend we saw.  Snow.

We sat in it.

We flew over it.

We ate it.

We laughed in it.

We had a grand time.

Dress-ups

Dress-ups are one of those things that I feel strongly about having in our house.  I have such fond memories of dressing up as a kid and pretending to be someone else.  There was something about the clothes that harkened back to a by-gone era, even if it was just the 60's (mind you, I was playing dress-up in the late 70's).  The best dress ups had broken zippers or lost buttons.  They were fancy or at least fanciful.  They were just a little too big and smelled a bit musty.  And they didn't have to be exact or precise, for our imaginations were willing to do the work to turn the Brownie outfit into Chewbacca.

And so I knew early on in my parenting that I wanted a good collection of dress-ups.  I started to look for them at Goodwill.  Then the girls began getting tutus and things as gifts.  I pilfered the Old Peep's house last summer and brought back some prize ones.  And it turns out that our neighbor is obsessed with Halloween and has an extensive collection of costumes, two bags of which she handed down to the girls.

I was a bit reluctant to admit it then when I realized that we have too many dress ups.  The girls can't work their way through the overflowing bin of princess dresses, hats, tutus, sparkly shoes,... you name it.   So I put Funky B to work.  She sorted the dress-ups by category, tried them all on, choose the ones to keep out, picked out a few to pass along, and packed up the rest.   

There is no way that I, on my own, would have been able to sift through the dress ups and move some on without a protest.  But  handing the chore over to her and letting her make the decisions ("Pick 5 princess dresses to keep" or "Which of the 4 pink tutus should we pass on to so-and-so?", etc.) resulted in a seamless purging and a few well appreciated birthday gifts.  

Plus she discovered costumes that never made it to the top layer and turn out to be her new favorites!

Lost Lake

In addition to s'mores, our weekend camping at Lost Lake included views such as these:

sightings of the last wild rhododendrons of the year,

long hikes around the lake,

morning yoga under a brilliant sunrise,

(just about the perfect place for sun salutations!)

boat rides,

slippery newts and salamanders,

splashing about in cold cold water,

moments of serenity,

and lots of good friends.

 

On more than one occasion, Funky B took my hand in  hers and said, "Mama, I like camping."  I do too, kiddo.  I do too.

Road Trip-Day Fourteen

It's a summer thing to do.  

It's the iconic California pastime.  

It's what you do when you are on vacation.  

You spend a day at the beach.  

 

  
 
 


   You can only hope that your day at the beach is as perfect as ours was.

Road Trip-Day Seven

 

On our first full day in Colorado Funky B went down her very first BIG waterslide (on my lap).  As we approached the top of the stairs, she turned to me and said, "Mom, I think that I am gonna have to be brave."  I nodded my head in agreement, promised to keep a strong hold on her, and down we went.  Then we did it four more times, stopping only because Miss E was desperate for a nap.

 

Funky B had to pull out her bravery again today as we went to Heritage Square Amusement Park.  The rides are all geared towards the younger school-aged set.   It was her first amusement park experience and as alluring as the rides were, I think that they were a bit intimidating for my rather cautious first born.  She tried all the rides and claimed to be enjoying herself although it was a bit hard to tell by her expression.

  

Unfortunately Miss E's first ride was a bit traumatic and we couldn't get her on anything other than the carousal.  Up down, up down, wave at grandma, up down, up down.   She was happy with that and content to watch her sister whirl about.

Mad Love

Each time I make the trip up to Madison, I like it even more.  Helps that we have fabulous friends here who can make any place comfortable, delightful, easy.   As I expected, yesterday afternoon included swimming and sandplay in a former quarry and an evening show.  The only company that we could have done without were the mosquitos.

 

On the agenda for today:  raspberry and apple picking, farmer's market, and a drive back south to the Old Peep and the Rooster.

    

Playing with the Cheeseheads

Eighteen hours since we arrived in Madison.  Lots going on in a remarkably and fabulously leisurely manner.  

It's 9:30 in the morning.  I am sitting on the deck, in my pajamas, snacking on yogurt, granola, and blueberries.  The kids are building fairy houses after some hula hooping and basketball.  I think that there might be some swimming and an evening concert picnic in store for the rest of the day.   I so love lazy summer days with dear friends.

Summers Remembered

I realize that I keep talking about how hot it is and how much time we are spending at the pool.   It's just that that's what we are doing these days.  Soaking up the sunshine, dipping our toes in the water, plunging in over our heads, splashing around.  It is blissful.  It calls up fond memories from my childhood of day after day spent at our local pool.  I can recall the walk from our house to the pool, how we'd drape towels over our shoulders, take "short cuts" through the alleys, and arrive dripping hot.  I remember the sound of the lockers as they clanged shut and the wet cement floor.  I remember racing across the pool with my best friend, doing handstands under water, and back somersaults off the wall.  I remember the soft serve ice cream cones and red licorice and hard candy strips.  I remember the swim passes that my mom would sew into our swimsuits.  

I doubt that the girls, as adults, will remember much of this summer.  I imagine that they will have memories of future summers spent at the pool.  I, though, will remember this summer as the year Funky B first put her head under water and started to swim and Miss E would hang out by the ladders waiting to jump into my arms.  It will be remembered as fondly as those of my own childhood.

 

Afternoon Storm

One afternoon last week the sky began to darken.  The wind picked up and I could see the clouds forming in the distance.  An afternoon thunderstorm was on it's way!  Funky B and I hung out on the front stoop.  We watched the blue sky disappear, only to be replaced by grey storm clouds.  Lightening cracked, thunder began to boom, and soon enough we scurried into the doorway to sit on the steps to escape the fat raindrops.  She huddled up to my side and we watched the rain just dump down.  Sheets of it so fierce we couldn't see across the street at times.  I knew in that moment that she felt protected and safe while we watched Mother Nature do her thing.  Soon enough the thunder woke Miss E and then, as quickly as it arrived, the rain subsided to a drizzle.  The girls pulled out raincoats and boots.  They stomped around in puddles until the sun reappeared and then they shed the rain gear and got their feet all muddy.

It was a perfect afternoon and I knew, right then and there, that of all the things I'll remember about our year in DC, this will always rank at the top.