5 Year Old Surprises

I called my brother's family last night about playing our new board game in the garage as it would be fairly warm to be outside.   I knew if we had any hope of finishing the game, I'd need to give my 5 year old nephew some attention first.  I asked them about going to the playground and they said, "Which playground?"

I gave them two choices and they both wanted to go to the one at their school.  "After we'll come back and play Wingspan."

"Candyland!" My nephew yelled in the background. 

"Ok, first we'll play Candyland, then Wingspan."

Today the 3 of us walked to their school.  It was endearing to hear my nephew, who is in kindergarten point out to me where the cafeteria windows are etc.  And it was nice to be near them in a more relaxed way (this winter we've only been together outdoors so we've had to be moving to be warm).

We played at the park for an hour and half and then headed home to play the games.

 My nephew and I started with Candyland.  He went thru the deck of cards and pulled out all the double colors and put them in his own pile.  So he moved very quickly and it turned out to be the shortest Candyland game I've played.

Then we set up Wingspan.  He said he wanted to play, I was highly doubtful he'd last long since he didn't even play Candyland correctly, so I said we could be a team. 

There are 4 rounds in the game and after round 1 my brother said, "When does this game get fun?"

"If you aren't having fun just stop playing." So my brother was out, but the 5 year old was still beside me.

Not only that,

he lasted the entire game, enthusiastically. He was excited about different birds, and though on occasion and in the end I did direct our strategy.  For the most part I let him decide what we should do and we still only trailed the winner by a couple points.  

For the second time in a row - it is the less than 10 years old that have taught me how to play, how to play a board game and simply have fun.

I still cannot believe that I was concerned we wouldn't be able to focus on the game because he'd get bored and want attention.  It was his father instead.

And  not only that, but he said he really wanted to borrow the game.

Wingspan Again

I am really close to one of my friend's children, and thru-out their lives I've spent time alone with them often.  However because of Co-Vid I haven't seen them for a number of months.  Today it was warm enough that I could venture over to teach them the Wingspan board game outside on their porch (with masks).  

 The game says it is for 10+, so I didn't really expect the 8 year old to be into it for long.  However, they both caught on much faster than I did and the 8 year old even had the brain capacity to read some of the extra bird facts on the cards. Something I found overwhelming until I'd played the game multiple times. He was so enthusiastic about it.  I suppose it helped too that he wasn't trying to overthink any sort of strategy, he was just playing.

After we were done I told them to ask their mom to come down before I left.  I had not seen her in person for a number of months either.  We began talking on the porch, and then it was time for their dinner.  I told her if she wanted to eat on the porch I'd stay to talk more.  I ended up staying a total of 6 hours, ignoring both my hunger and need to pee (though I could have gone inside quickly to do the latter).  Fortunately, I had grabbed my winter coat, because as the temperature cooled I needed it.

When I got home there was a yummi dinner waiting for me as the rest of the household was downstairs watching a movie.  "Oofta," I soon heard in the kitchen, "the stairs are hard."  Michael's eldest was learning to navigate with her crutches, her attitude is impressive.

Grand Portage State Park, MN

 #1 - I think I'm done with my dad's taxes.  The best part about it is that I worked on it early enough that I got something corrected, which means I do not have to file estate income taxes for him as well.  Before the correction his estate income was just above the $600 filing requirements, now it is well below it.

#2 - Sometimes the forecast and your life don't match, like maybe the weather outside is calling to you, but you need to work on your taxes.  This weekend's forecast is unusually warm.  I'm happy temperatures will be cooling a bit again come Monday, but I'm also happy to have some time to spend outdoors at a park tomorrow, even if there is no snow for skiing and it may just be that early spring mud.

#3 - We missed Michael's eldest's 16th birthday while we were in Northern MN last week, so tonight the 4 of us will be together and I asked her to pick the activity for us to do.  She may change her mind, but for now she grabbed - Wingspan -the game I gave the family for Christmas. I am looking forward to playing again.

#4 - My sister-in-law spent a night alone at a camper cabin last night.  When asked my brother about it in Feb, he thought it was more my thing than hers.  However, she emailed me earlier in the week and said how excited she was.  Then she sent a text today that she was thinking about taking a walk in the park but was enjoying the cabin too much!

#5 -  Michael was stressing me out a little this morning, I asked him a simple question and it seemed to overwhelm him.  Later he came in the bathroom as I brushed my teeth and said it seemed I was busy this morning and thanked me for all the planning I do and all I do around the household.

Abstract Art/Food Art

(Photo credit Michael)

At the end of January, I decided to brainstorm a list of simple things that I could do every day for a month.  Doing something every day for a year is too long, but a month is doable.  The one I selected for Feb was to notice the sky at sunset.  All it required was a glance at the sky and an observation - is it a cloudy sunset, clear sunset, colorful sunset?  Since sunset is around dinnertime this time of year, I figured it would be easy enough to do.  

I ended up noting the sunrises too.  And the month is over, but I don't want to stop.

This morning Michael got up and said, "This would be a good morning to take a sunrise walk," and then went back to bed.  I followed his beckoning.  I didn't take the walk, but I sat by the window with at least a partial sunrise view and observed.  I'm not sure how long I sat there, but enough to watch it slowly change.  Then there was a moment with a burst of what looked like fire on the roof of a building.  It had arrived.

Speaking of this, I highly recommend Mary Oliver's poem "The Sun" which I fortuitously came across last month.

Later in the day I took a short walk along Lake Superior and heard a unique sound.  The lake was open water but just at the edge there were shards/small sheets of ice being pushed to shore.  I stopped to listen and then sit for a bit watching them bob and then arrive on land to create little sculptures.

As my final gratitude for today - my father was an engineer and super talented in many ways, but art was not one of them.  Neither of my parents enjoyed or expressed an artistic ability and I grew up thinking I had none as well.  It was with great trepidation that I tried drawing and painting a bit as an adult.  

My niece however continues to astoud me with her artwork.  I always found it so sweet how my dad would support this in her, sometimes I think grandparents are able to give things to their grandkids that they couldn't to their own children.

Anyway, my sister-in-law emailed me today an abstract piece of artwork my niece did.  I was impressed.  And then the photo after that was of the food art that my sister-in-law made to match it!

Early Afternoon

 

Back Outside (a Bit)

This winter the four of us have skied together once every other weekend (basically once a week when the girls are with us).  We didn't go the last Saturday they were here because it was so cold.  

Sometimes Michael and I do a 5pm ski, but the girls never join us when we invite them.  Today we didn't make it an option since we missed the last family ski and they didn't have school today or yesterday. We went to the nearby golf course, which the girls have never skied at.  One member of the family was clearly not happy about it.  However at some point during the ski her attitude shifted and she came home in a much better mood. 

We ski slower with the girls so I don't get as much exercise.  However tonight, I mostly skied my normal pace, and then periodically I turned around and went back to meet them, and then skied ahead again.  I felt a bit like a little kid with a lot of energy.  This course is completely flat and no one else was there so it was easy to do this.

Tonight is was 10 F, -12 C, still on the low end of my skiing preference, but there was no wind which was a big help.  As is often the case my fingers, especially my thumb, were quite cold in the beginning.  I stopped periodically to move the thumb next to my fingers to warm them.  That was unpleasant, but I'd guess after 15-20 minutes my fingers and toes were toasty warm.  Once my extremities were warm, my thighs and rear end were cold.  I think it's fascinating how the body works.  That is much more comfortable than having cold fingers.  Usually when I get home from skiing the skin on my thighs is cold.  Michael has caught on to my trick which is to turn the heat down a degree before we leave, so when we get home we can turn it back up and sit next to the vent.  The heat just cycled on and I'm about to go do that.

Imagined Guests

#1 -  Well my exercise streak is over, with the arctic temps I did not ski this weekend, and then Michael wanted to postpone our usual Monday yoga.  So I was feeling a bit disheartened and then my sister-in-law emailed that she is going to lead a dance/fitness class on Zoom tomorrow.

#2 - I had my annual exam today.  I skipped last year since my doctor (who was great) retired.  I thought about trying to find another holistic doctor, but with Co-Vid, it didn't seem like going to the doctor when I didn't really need to was a great idea.  But today I tried another doctor at the same clinic and I liked her well enough.  I was a bit surprised to walk out of there with three follow up referrals.  One of which was a colonoscopy.  I always heard that started after 50 - Michael recently had his first.  But she asked about my family history (I had two grandparents with colon cancer) and then said recent recommendations are to start at 45.  So we'll see.  At least Michael said it wasn't a bad experience.

#3 - We also checked my iron levels, my hemoglobin has been fine though on the low side, but my ferritin (iron stores) have been low for a long time.  I have taken an iron supplement for a few years and it didn't seem to be helping but finally today my ferritin level was in the normal (though low) range.  I wonder if it's my recent strategy.  I bought a different type of iron supplement and was alternating between the two each day (in case one worked better), and then I picked up a third type that my dad had at his house so I've been alternating all three.

#4 - I didn't fast, because they didn't tell me too, but my lipid/cholesterol panel still looked great.  

#5 - One thing I did with my time on Saturday was a deep clean of the living room.  I moved all the furniture, washed the floor, dusted, washed the couch cover and ended with a slightly new arrangement which I am really enjoying today.  I think it looks cozy, a great place to sit and talk with my imagined guests.