Adventures in the Creek

We took a Father's Day hike in the nearby park this weekend. It was lovely and idyllic. After we clambered over the trail, with aggressive warnings about poison ivy, we came to Roxie's favorite part.  We used to take her here fairly regularly in the time B.C.  Our little old lady dog was right back to it, like a baby mountain goat, skipping up the sides of the creek bed and sniffing her old haunts and occasionally worrying about our parenting skills as we let the girls explore.

I love this little series of photos as William and the girls scheme about how to get up on the Very Big Rock That Is Slightly Too Far Away.

Contemplations....

The plot and plan.

Swing!!

The eagle has landed!

I do not have a photo of William and Naomi slipping down the waterfall on our way out of the creek, but it was only a minor disaster and no permanent damage was done. Hopefully, for Naomi, it will not overshadow a wonderful day of splashing and  trumping and exploring a little treasure so close to our house. Because this picture....

...

This is what I want to remember out of this day, this celebration with their Daddy and what a wonderful human being he sand how very beautiful life can be.

Fairy magic

Ivy turned four yesterday, which further proves that time is accelerating.  These three are great friends, running and laughing and plotting against Jack when all of us are together.  They love to throw their arms around one another, pose for a photograph and frequently beg to sleep over one another's houses. We haven't braved that adventure yet, but I'm sure it's coming soon.

The party was, by all definitions, magical.  The weather is always perfect for Morehouse parties and yesterday was no exception.  Dozens of children donned wings and sparkly crowns and wings and flitted about the perfect afternoon, playing games and clambering in the treehouse.  Adults milled and talked and spun children around when they came close enough.

It was what I imagine when we talk of raising children. 

I'm sure Amanda will write a beautiful post about it and what we really want here are pictures.

Up, up, up!

Here we are hunting for treasure, little sparkly gems and shiny buttons sprinkled through the back yard.  Hope we got them all,'cause that will hurt shooting out the back of a lawnmower. 

This gorgeous shot is from Nat as Naomi rode the zip line.  Yes, they have a zip line in their yard.  I told you it was magical.

This is a still shot for the Broadway production of Frozen: The Freeze Dance Reprisal

Even Momma got into the act, wearing wings.

Investigations

(This has been hanging in limbo since February.)

What if I just jump in here, and pretend there hasn't been awkward radio silence for two months?

Great.

We went to Farm Park today for Discovery Days explorations. It was a bit chilly, but the sunshine made it bearable and the maple sugaring demonstration made it all worthwhile. 

We helped make ice cream and investigated some seeds in the greenhouse.  It was good to talk about things that were connected to spring!

What else had happened since we last met here? We got Lillian's hair cut.

Oh.  Christmas. At chick fil-a. It was random.

Also, the girls say really weird things like, "If you tape a light to a dolphin, you'll have a light-up dolphin!"

Clearly,I need to get my sea legs back on this blogging thing.

Look out, Neal Degrasse Tyson!

Thanksgiving Tap Dance

Chronologically, this is quite a leap.  You'll just have to suffer, because it's totally worth it.  

Pat has been hanging on to the box of gold lame and tap shoes since 1987 when we all put on a show for the family.  The resulting photograph ended up on national TV the following year as Granny chatted up Chuck Woolery on the Scrabble game show. This was before I really understood that not everyone got together with their families at holidays and dressed in full costume to dance and sing.  

And for all the things in the world to be thankful for, my own children will get to have that same awkward realization at some point. 

Granny shared the stage with her newest back-up dancers as the rest of us mumbled through songs and snapped pictures.   

How happy this makes me.

Take Two

Victory is Ours!

We have been meaning to get the girls out to Twins Days every summer so far, but this was the first year we were in town for the celebration. It's a crazy gathering with its own culture that we just barely understand. We are clearly on the outskirts, only just the serfs in a bizarre kingdom where the people are the show.  If you're around the Cleveland area the first weekend if August and enjoy a bit of the surreal, I highly recommend it. 

Twins of all ages dress in identical outfits, some in themed regalia; this year was "Twice Upon a Time." Pairs of Snow Whites and pairs of Harry Potters wandered amongst the small town carnival set up, taking in the sights or participating in the talent show. I was originally confused by the audience's wild appreciation for the one-man clogging show. One guy in his 60s or 70s dancing onstage in a loud, patriotic shirt and the whole audience was clapping and stomping along like it was Elvis. Later, I read in the program that he had been doing this clogging performance with his twin brother for nearly 50 years and this was his first Twins Days performance after the passing of his twin.  I cried for a bit then. And felt like those overly enthusiastic audience members were kind of my heroes. 

The rest of the day was not so fraught with emotion.  We ate some fair food, rode some tiny carnival rides and played a good long time on the playground. 

Except for the part were we became pageant patents. 

There are contests for every permutation of twindom.  Twins with the longest running attendance, twins from farthest away (Japan), most alike male, least alike male/female.  And so on.

I'll tell you here that we crushed the competition for least alike girl twins under 4.  

I could temper our bragging by mentioning that there were only three sets of competitors in the category at all ,but where's the fun in that?

Watching while the judges "interviewed" the contestants was my favorite part. The girls played their roles perfectly, Naomi sitting quietly on the bleachers or in William's lap while Lillian was dancing around and chatting up the judge. 

The girls were awarded the gold medal and seemed very pleased by it, even though they had no idea what it was about.  Naomi was a bit heartbroken that she didn't get to say her name into the microphone. I think she'd been psyching herself up for it. 

If we are in town next year, look out all you fraternal girl twins, ages 4-8.  We have a streak to build.