Chris and Wendy, in planning for our babysitting venture, arranged with friends for the whole kitten-kaboodle to go away to a friend’s farm for the weekend. We left them in the hands of these generous folks yesterday at PE, their home school co-op physical education class. Before we left, we watched the intergenerational event in which older kids took little kids by the hand and pull them around the court as they worked in conjunction to tag others with a ball. There is a downside, I think, to school life always being structured with separating kids by age and grade. I think it would be a good thing, even in public school situation, to mix them up now and then.
Bernie and I enjoyed the quiet back at the house. He finished working on a gate to keep the dogs on the porch when they are let out. I did some ordering and cleaned the kitchen. We both squeezed in a nap. The best part of being alone was this morning. With no little kids wandering out, I was able to enjoy reading a lengthy passage from a book I am reading on the history of violence. In addition I was able to think about what I was reading, to let the ideas deepen my understanding about what I see in my world. I was able to think about other things, too, like the situation we are in. I was able to put struggles with the kids into a different perspective. I recalled problems Bernie and I had raising our four and thought about how so many of the character flaws we saw in our kids were outgrown in later years. It sort of takes the pressure off. I think the downside of too much busyness in one’s life is not having time to ponder, reconsider, open oneself to new perspectives.
Today we will use our day off to visit granddaugher Alicia. Then, we hope to spend some of this beautiful day exploring some of Colorado’s most prized possession…her mountains. I can’t handle too much uneven terrain anymore, so we probably won’t do any serious hiking, like Chris and Wendy like to do. What a loss. I know that walking the trails by foot is the best way.
Thanks, Chris and Wendy, for setting up this break for us.