I am not a human Google. I don’t have a wake up word like Alexa. Yes, I know things. Yes, I have answers. But I am also busy. Yet the girls still have questions. So many questions and requests throughout a typical day. And I don’t want to blunt those questions or their curiosity, but I do want to teach them how to figure things out and not just repeat the question in increasing decibels at me or at a device.
So this week, I did pause and teach Cecilia the proper pronunciation of her vocab word victuals (it’s ‘vittels‘) with an actual dictionary (that took the longest to find in the house) and then we traced it back through Middle English, French, and Latin (vital).
Did it take longer than just telling her? Yes, but just telling them doesn’t help. You have to show them.
I’m not sure if it’s therapy, habit, Ina, or actual enjoyment, but Cecilia’s Bakeshop continues to crank out sweet Saturday morning treats. This week I returned from my morning run to find her finishing up mini-muffin donut holes.
A rock covered in butter and cinnamon would probably taste okay, but these were really good.
Michelle continues to crank out treadmill and weight workouts with her favorite YouTube instructors. I don’t see her going back to the gym.
Ally discovered one of my old digital SLR cameras. Ce was happy to be the model, though she did negotiate some chore “fees” into her contract.
When you struggle to find new things to do in quarantine, dressing up the dog becomes an acceptable activity.
Some of Ally’s artistic handiwork. It was a chili making weekend for Haley House so I chopped lots of vegetables and got reacquainted with ground beef. Be sure to keep supporting local business and non-profits!
The girls went luging. The local hill was very icy. There were a lot of complaints of sore butts for the rest of the day.
This is the type of mail I like to receive. And the type of running club I like to belong to. My reward for a making it through the January wellness challenge.
The teacher has taken pity on us and we have moved on from “improv” and back to sheet music.
We checked in with our new nephew. The girls are fascinated with tiny baby things. It’s been a constant barrage of questions and comparisons. Interesting what Michelle and I remember… and don’t remember.
It’s like grabbing the brass ring on the carousel and getting an extra ride. The trash compactor was full and we had to wait for a new box to be hooked up. More transfer station time!
This seemed like a sign after dry January. And potentially a very short book. Pour, tip, drink, amiright?
I’m not sure this was the best game choice when we wanted the kids to chill out a little.
Fun fact, Ben Franklin might have created the beta version of Operation when he designed a game called Treason, which involved removing a gilt crown from a picture of King George II without touching the frame.
Not a lot of color in those dinner victuals.
Relax. From Old French, to the Latin relaxare “loosen, stretch, or widen again,” from the re- prefix and laxare “loosen.”
Hope you found some time in your Saturday to do the same.
