Park Day Muse

Structures swarming with kids
Little kids dashing in, out, through, under splashing water
Bright splashes of colour: hats, shirts, shoes, shorts
Shrieks, yells, laughs, cries, animated discussions loud on the wind
From my three loudest of all

Timid ones on the fringes
Loners happy in sand construction
Daredevils swinging loose from the top
Others drunk from endlessly soaring swings
Instant friends, crazy unrepeatable games

Parents on benches, at tables, on blankets
Shading under roofs, beside trees
Phone playing or talking in self-made isolation
Long suffering grandmas little ones pulling in to play
Babies sleeping in strollers, jounced on hips, drooling snacks

Dad doing Tai Chi much interrupted
Mom friends deep in conversation together
Couples doting on first child's play
Hawk-eyed guardians hovering
Mom-managed play limits: none at all or constant correction

Languages I understand
Languages I recognize
Languages I can't quite place
Eliciting curiosity, longing, planning
Stirring the world-traveller in me

Reminding of many places of play
Where our language was the other
Our childcare different
Living life an adventurous challenge
Feeding the longing to go again

Bubbling up gratitude and wonder
Such privilege and richness!
Playgrounds aplenty
Well-kept, sound, safe
Casual public play

Building awareness of world change
Mixed kids jumbled together without thought
Mixed couples no longer rare
4-5 languages weaving together casually
On Canada's playgrounds

Creativity from the last week

We've had a simple not-doing-anything-major week for once.  It's been nice to see what comes each day! Creative moments all over the place: 

Jasmin at work with whatever is at hand...

Post-it note cute critter

New fantasy dog species discovered

Egg carton volcano valleys

Grace's creativity included a new song or two like this one, a few chapters of the book she's writing, and reading at least 5 or 6 good books...

Aiden constantly made and remade lego versions of Octopods and gups, watched the construction team pave the top end of our road, came just a bit closer to riding his bike without training wheels, and began cleaning the bathrooms and floors with Daddy (after all, it's a boy job to him!)  Aiden has also enjoyed beginning school with mom - getting a jumpstart so when things get chaotic teaching three at once, there is more wiggle room.

And Mom and Dad's creativity:

We sold some shelves on Kijiji and, upon discovering they didn't fit in either the buyer's or our car, came up with a fusion culture solution.  It wasn't very far, but I did feel rather strange biking this through the streets in Barrhaven and not Asia somewhere!

Summer Review in Photos

Peas in a pod  

Enjoying cookout supper in Gatineau 

After a long day's play 

Washing cars 

At the Big Give

A little bit too rare   Summer afternoons Exploring the river       Wet, dry, sleepy     Muddy and content

Cousin play in Tennessee  

Delight of fireflies  

One to ten in 6 kids

 Museum and pool

Then on again to Florida

Powder white sand under hot sun 

Cousin play continued 

Dawn till well after dusk

Burying Uncle Michael

Even Aiden started calling Daddy that!

Jasmin's birthday celebrated

Dolphin Day camp

Not quite the dream swim with dolphins

But mighty special all the same

Crowning the day  

Supper at Jasmin Thai restaurant

Where they sang her a surprise birthday song

July begun with VBS

Early mornings and lots of kids

Aiden grumpy to be in 

Mini camp only

July end camping trip

At the top of Niagara Falls

Friends from far away

Sweeten the recent bitter partings

A second week of VBS

This time at NiNi's church

giving Mommy time to plan

The soon coming school year

Aiden proud to be in a "real class"

Ready now for September?
Now we have some slow days strung together
Right when we'd like to fill them
With all the Summer things
Yet to do!