A Decent Sort of Day

It's nearly my bedtime...but I was trying to think over the day. I slept in after not getting to bed at a very reasonable time last night. Then woke and did morning sort of things. As in, showered, drank a shake left in the fridge for me, and had conversations with family members that are a bit foggy now. Even though I'd never call myself a morning person, my favorite times in everyday family life are in the mornings around eight. No matter how we try to schedule things in the morning, breakfast time ends up being sort of a laid back time clustered in the kitchen and dining room area, scrambling eggs, groggily brewing coffee, saying Bible verses and making plans for the day. It's a little more laid back for me since I don't have school.

This morning was a morning to make a list, because I needed to make some phone calls and emails. But those were easily taken care of. Mattie was sitting at the table drawing in her art journal, and it tempted me, so I pulled out a sketchbook and tried to sketch too. Mattie drew a great, modern looking picture of a fruit bowl. I tried to copy a picture of Mattie and Dad on a camping trip, but when Dad saw the results, he said, "Looks like you found Bigfoot." That kind of is what it looked like. Amazing how a little innocent shading can look so like...hair.

I guess Ethan got jealous, because then he wanted me to play. As in, don Mattie's medieval cloak and follow him around outside while he strutted hither and yon sporting a knight tunic, cloak, and patched plastic sword. I wasn't allowed to have a sword. After all, he was protecting me, right? We went to the "hay pile" and I told him a story. That's something new...we read a lot together, but I never tell him stories. It was a very bad attempt; I'm not much of an adlibber, but apparently he enjoyed it, because afterward he looked timidly at me and said, "Can you tell me just one more really long one?" And that's the same thing he said the next two times. Only, by the end of the fourth story (I had resorted to Saint George and Sir Roland by that time) we had moved to a different location after the discovery of tiny disgusting insects swarming out of the hay pile and biting us. Ironically, we moved to his other favorite spot, "Sand Beach", where the mosquitos ate us instead.

Finally I insisted I was out of stories and patience, and we needed to go home. Off with the cumbersome cloak. On with Pooh Bear. We proceeded to read half of a Pook Bear story book. He kept begging for one more chapter and, seeing as I love reading Pooh Bear even more than he likes hearing it, made an easy target for wheedling. We read and read. I'm so proud of how he sits so still and listens. When he was a little baby, I could hardly hold him without him crying for Mom or Dad. I was sure he'd never have anything to do with me. And now...I never could have hoped for so much fun. All the cuddles and books I could ask for from a little brother.

After we'd gotten half way through the book we were hungry, and it was finally time for me to move on. So we had some grilled cheese sandwiches, and then I went on some errands. I got lost in Barrons on accident for quite a long time, browsing in the books, reading random bits of poetry. Then I used the last of a Christmas gift certificate on some pretty cards. Meaningful cards are so delightful.

At the Crowes there was more reading time...Hans Brinker with Bron, Mike Mulligan with Brent and Tuck. I almost went hoarse.

Anyhow...that has mostly been the day, though there was the attempt when I got home to make biscuits and gravy for supper, but Mom had to take over because I had a rather numbing headache and couldn't concentrate. Supper helped that. Oh, and I caught a skink on the kitchen rug which had recently been bereaved of its tail. I don't have any objection to lizards, but that one gave me a start...those little black and blue ones look too much like snakes. But at least I don't have to worry about him roaming around the house. Ack, the critters! I guess its just spring time.