1 Mother 2 Another

We had a long week last week, mostly from
anticipating- and then wallowing in – Valentine’s Day,
and by the time the girls got home on Friday we were pretty fried.
I was facing a reasonably hectic weekend, an incredibly filthy
house, and the prospect of two exhausted, bickering children.


I was not looking forward to it.


But for whatever reason, we had one of those golden afternoons,
where you hit that sweet spot and simply coast from one happiness
to the next. Not in any huge, life-changing, trip-to-Paris kind of
way, but in a sweet contentment kind of way.

After school got out we elected to stay
and play at the school playground for a bit, enjoying the
sunny-but-brisk weather outside. We had a grand time running and
laughing and digging: apparently Cora and her posse dug their
entire recess time and were rewarded with a worm, which made Cora
head back to that hole as soon as school got out, hoping for more
bounty. Instead of finding a worm, though, she founds some good ole
Texas clay and couldn’t get any further in the ground.


Though she has asked me to pack a small shovel for school on
Tuesday. Hmm.


After we got home from playing at the park, the girls wandered
aimlessly around the house for a few moments, too restless to
settle on any one thing. And then they wandered into the dining
room, where I’d been unpacking several pieces of Pilates
equipment I’d recently received.


“Mommy,” Cora said thoughtfully, “Is this rather
large, rather long, just-my-size box up for grabs?”


“Why, yes, you may use it,” I responded.


Jackpot.


For the next TWO HOURS the girls built a time machine, based
largely on Calvin’s Transmogrifier. See Calvin and Hobbes,
volumes 1,2, and 3. They assembled quite an elaborate machine
comprised of many boxes, some taped together, some containing
Velcro – VELCRO – closures for storing extra items to
bring with them. On the inside of the box they drew categories of
places to visit. People (Egyptians, Romans, Indians), Types of
Places (Desert, Ocean, and so on), and Times (Old Times, Pioneer
Times, and Now). They packed changes of clothes for “fitting
in” – two saris for visiting India, two Cleopatra
costumes for Egypt, and so on.


The girls raided the kitchen fixing hearty snacks for a
“Voyage Long and Tiring”, as Cora put it. Wheat Thins,
Clementine oranges, apples, and string cheese all got packed up.


I’m telling you, this thing was beautiful.


I only managed to tear the girls away from the machine with dinner
– still in costume (Maddie – blue butterfly; Cora
– Cleopatra). As soon as dinner ended Brian wandered into the
library and got out his guitar, picking out Beatles tunes, and
fifteen minutes later both girls were dancing around and lustily
singing “Ticket To Ride”. Maddie set up an entire drum
set out of bongos and hand drums before tying jingle bells to her
ankles and jumping up and down in time to the music while beating a
tom-tom simultaneously. Cora danced away, still in full Cleopatra
costume.


This family’s got major talent.


The whole thing wound down at bedtime and not a moment before, each
girl getting to do one solo performance before we shut the whole
thing down. And you know what was the best part of the afternoon?
Not once did the girls ask to watch their daily video. They had
such a fantastic time playing with each other that the day flew by
and they went to bed happy and exhausted.


I was able to get a head start on cleaning the house, working on
the kitchen and laundry while watching them simply enjoy each
other’s company. And that is better than any video I know.


Although of course, I took videos and of course, I’ll show
them at an embarrassing time. Say, during their Nobel Peace Prize
acceptance speeches.