For Simone's history lessons this year, we're creating a timeline of the ancient civilizations. It spans at least 3500 years, which might be overload for Simone's first attempt. I decided to do a smaller one that she could relate to: my timeline!
Each inch represents 1 year. On the top is my timeline and on the bottom is Michael's. When I told the kids about it it was blank. I had laid it out on the bench table and invited them to do a special project. I started with my birth and drew pictures of Michael and me as time progressed. the kids loooooved the exercise!
They liked seeing themselves but were curious about the moment that their parents met.
"Why does Mommy have a cape on?" ... "That's to show I had long hair."
"Why does Daddy have no mouth?" ... "Oh, that dot is his mouth. That's just his flirting face (which resembles Zoolander's Blue Steel look)."
I liked drawing how cool Michael looked in middle school and how nerdy I looked (and was). It's nice that the kids don't understand my joke yet. They don't get the concept of "nerd" or "geek."
There is wildlife here at the campground and Michael has encountered them at night on the way to the bathroom. One night there was a fox. Ok, that's not too scary since the animal kept its distance. Another night, Michael spotted a black snake wriggling across the road in front of him. And one night he encountered .......
The North American Parking Block!!
At this time, we were parked far from the bathrooms and the only speedy vehicles we had were the kids' bicycles. Michael grabbed Simone's and raced to beat nature's calling. The moon must have not been out because Michael did not see the concrete beast in his path. At the last minute, his ocular senses identified the parking block. Michael expertly slammed on the brakes - too expertly. The sudden impact, albeit softened by the brakes, propelled his body over the handrails and Michael tumbled onto the grass and gravel beyond.
After Michael did his business, he slowly cycled back to the bus and mended his wounds. We were still awake and saw his injuries, but the lack of light did not reveal the gravity of what stumbling over a parking block can do to a grown adult. It was only in the morning that we saw how narrowly Michael escaped his total demise.
The last time Michael and I went to Oktoberfest was in 2005, before children and after settling down into a long-term relationship. It was soooo boring. We were done with the event after 90 minutes, during which we consumed a couple of beers and large sausages. I thought I was going to have a raging good time as I had years before when I had participated enthusiastically in the chicken dance and a few rounds of polka. The somber mood of Oktoberfest 2005 left me unmoved to go to another German-centric event no matter how strong the lure of alcohol.
9 years later, Michael and I have two mini-me's who are able to walk on their own and Oktoberfest seems like a pleasant way to spend a weekend day. We can fill their bellies with popcorn and chicken tenders and we can fill ours with beer and bratwurst. Either it is "time away" or "the company of loved ones" that makes festivals more fun because I thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at Fort Belvoir's Oktoberfest! We ate, we listened to polka, we burped, we rode a ride and then we left and still had time to take a nap that afternoon! How glorious is that?!
Michael always enjoys when the kids want to sit next to him.
When I heard live music, I was excited to show Simone a violinist. But guess what! There are no strings in German bands! They're all about the wind. Instruments, that is.
The kids have just confirmed they are tall enough to ride dragons!
Simone is very content to fly near the ground. Max is ready to fly!
The video shows how the kids' personalities differ. At second 18, watch for the wacky dragon under fluctuating control.
Michael had to dress fancy one day and dusted off his fancy hat. Yes, that's right ... I don't know what the heck the names of the military clothing are.
But I do know that Max looks well pretending to be a little officer!
I recently met a fellow homeschooling mom on base whose kids are the exact ages as mine. We had a playdate soon after and our kids were shy to interact at first. After an hour or so, the girls started playing together, but the boys still stayed close to their mamas or their big sisters.
We all had a great time overall and made plans to have another playdate. On the way back to the car, Max ran ahead while I asked Simone if she had fun playing with Ava. Simone said she did and added,
"I told her my brother is annoying and she said hers is too!"
This afternoon, the kids and I were watching a movie while they munched on their dessert of Nerds. Since we're still living in the bus, our dining room inside is the master bed. And since Max is only 4 years old, he can still make a mess of his food even with a bowl to catch little pellets of sugar.
I spotted some strawberry Nerds on the comforter and told him with exasperation, "Please pick up your food and put it in the bowl!"
