Stream of consciousness

I am glad that everyone is in bed. Not that they've been such a chore today, just that it's nice to have the day over. The dishwasher is quiet, the dryer will soon be done, and off I'll toddle to sleep.

We began the day with piano lessons. The three eldest will be performing a trio for their recital, their first ever attempt at something like this, in addition to their solo pieces. As usual, G and E and I did math and spelling while I fed Q and the little girls had lessons, then we all switched out and K and S and I did reading and grammar. Off then to lunch with friends--the sandwiches were super, the cook especially talented. Then we were tearing off to home to snatch up Q's stroller/chair which had lost a washer and nut (bolt?) last week. In order to keep the warranty intact, the pharmacy which supplied the chair must do all repair, so it was another 40 minutes of driving to get there. In the meantime, we had more phonics taking place in the backseat, several moments of deep engagement when the kids were calling out words and phrases they'd seen on signs, challenging each other to spell the same as we left the visual prompts behind, rolling down the road. (A great activity they initiated for themselves--good for recall, among other more obvious skills.) We also enjoyed some pure entertainment, and Q had a nice nap in his seat. On our way back, I stopped by a paper store to make the annual selections for the cards that my dad will include in the yearly paperwork mailing for his client list. And we headed home to update the calendar, make dinner, tidy up, adjust K's expander, have stories and collapse in our respective heaps.

And we do it all again tomorrow: the girls have eye appointments and we're taking lunch to enjoy with friends who are somewhat indisposed. More school (logic, math, history, Latin) en route to all, then tumbling in the afternoon, more reading after dinner, perhaps another layout for Biology for the girls, another element page for G, time in the stander for Q, then baths and bed.

The problem with Q's chair was a bit worrisome. I mean, we'd had it what, a whole two weeks? And it's coming apart? So much for German engineering, eh? Well, according to the nice repair guys at the pharmacy, this is the first time either of them can recall ever having had this particular chair back in for an issue of any kind. The problem occurred at the site of the tie-down loop which was added locally, though not in their shop. A tie-down loop provides the mechanism for the chair to be used as a car seat, more or less, either in our own customized vehicle or in a special school bus configuration. Both repair guys had just glowing things to say about the Bingo which was very reassuring indeed. So far, we like it very much. Especially Q, who is really the one whose opinion matters anyway.

On the return trip from the pharmacy, we had to cross a bridge. The water was reflective, as though it had been polished up just to show off the sky above. The striations in the clouds were amazing: at one elevation they all ran away from us, toward some exaggerated vanishing point. At another, they loped directly across the horizon, a mass of pulled cotton cushioning the break between earth and heaven. The colors were thin, watery, pale. Then deeper, strengthening. Everything from a glossy pale yellow to rosy pink, then fading from shell shades into mother of pearl grays and shiny blues. The tree lines rose dark and peaked, rolling along like a continuous monitor of the planet's heartbeat. Rising and falling, sometimes showing a resting rhythm, sometimes one of great passion or aerobic activity. Sting's The Living Sea played in my head as a soundtrack. Just as it does every time there's water, great beauty, good memories.

(Humming...)
Whisper a prayer in the morning,
Whisper a prayer at noon,
Whisper a prayer in the evening,
To keep your heart in tune.


Just now I would happily volunteer for evisceration as a delightful alternative to the prospective events of the morning. Yech. Here's hoping your day will look more promising.

In the meantime, rest well.