Packed

Well, I enjoyed my few unstructured days...

We got to the beach.

I thought, a bit, about educational decisions.

B10 and I deep-cleaned the room that he shares with the absent B14.

I bought new beach towels.

No mending was accomplished, nor were any piles shifted about.

Oh well.

And then came our busy weekend, which I enjoyed even more!

First we spent the day on Friday at Six Flags Great America. It seems a shame to live so close and never take advantage! And we had three free passes from a reading program, which were about to expire, plus our friends with season passes were free and eager to go with us--so off we went. Papa Rooster and I hadn't been there in 20 years.

And we had so much fun, we didn't leave until it closed, at 10 p.m.! It was a long day, but such a good time. Papa Rooster took pictures, of course, and I think he should post some for me later this week.

The next day, we cleaned house and then went to the Pike River Rendezvous, a historical reenactment of the days of fur trader/Native American/pirate/French soldier relations on Kenosha's Simmons Island. (Did you know Kenosha has an island?)

We learned about quill-pen making, animal skinning, fur tanning, and charcoal making. We sat inside a teepee and a wigwam and learned how both were made. In the wigwam, we talked at length with a fascinating Native American man who quietly, patiently answered all the kids' questions about his wigwam and his other possessions.

While we were there, our expected overnight guests called to say they were running late and probably wouldn't arrive before 10:00.

Oh! we thought to ourselves. Oh, oh, we can still go see the Opera a la Carte production that so many of our friends are in!

We had planned to see scenes from The Fairy Queen and Pirates of Penzance on Friday night, and then, when the only day we could go to Great America was Friday, we had been forced to acknowledge that one can't do everything.

Still, we knew the choreographer, the costumers, and quite a few of the performers, and we really wanted to go. So we pulled everybody together--quick, quick!--and arrived just in time for a wonderful, colorful production that married opera and ballet, accompanied by a live pit orchestra and performer/pianist. Even our self-proclaimed opera hater (B18) enjoyed it.

B4, when asked on the way home if he liked the pirates, replied, "No--just the girls." (Well, the pirates were the bad guys!)

Our friends, meanwhile, arrived at our home, early!, and managed to get all their kids put to bed in a strange house without the assistance of their absent hosts. When we arrived, there was nothing to do but build a fire in the fire pit and talk way too late into the night for a couple of priests--and priests' wives--who had a service in the morning.

After church, we came home and continued the catching up and mutual encouragement session over lunch, a trip to the beach, and pizza, ending with a benediction of prayer in our driveway just before they drove off. Colorado is soooo far away!!

All these lovely happenings, and Blondechick and B14 missing them all, off at camp. We haven't heard from them, so we can only assume they are having a fabulous time. It's been quiet without them.

You might think it's pretty cold of us to go to Great America without them, but the truth is, they wouldn't have wanted to walk around with us anyway--they're at that age and state of cool-ness--and it was really delightful to have just the agreeable children with us!

Blondechick's already been, anyway, and B14 has said all along that he's going with his buddy.

I was sorry they missed the opera. But it was just as well that they missed the Rendezvous, because B18, B10 and Chicklet6 took their time looking at everything there, just like homeschooled kids are supposed to do.

But they're coming home on Friday, and I am looking forward to hearing all about camp! It is also the day I return from my Tuesday-to-Friday leadership training sessions, which I have to pack for tomorrow. I'll have wireless in the dorm where I'm staying, but I'm unsure, amid all the training and socializing, if there will be time for blogging.

It may depend on when?/whether? my inner introvert cries "Uncle"!

Believe it or not, blogging is an introverted activity for me. It restores me--to ramble on, perusing my word choices, riding the rhythm of dashes, commas, end marks and parentheses. The rattle of the train of thought is such a soothing one. It's nice to take a little joy-riding jaunt tonight!