Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

Akiva’s Haircut

I got a haircut. Akiva decided to get one, too!

When we got home, Iris put a silk scarf around his neck.

We went out to the back field to take photos.

 

 

 

 

I wanted the sun to illuminate their faces. Iris obeyed demurely.

Akiva did not want the sun to illuminate his face.

 

 

 

 

My next tactic was to get them to run into the sun.

He’d have to look where he was going, I reasoned.

 

 

 

 

Just a few more runs back and forthβ€”

 

 

 

 

Certainly Akiva will be willing to stand still nicely for the camera soonβ€”

 

 

 

 

Eventually we came to an agreement:

Iris would have the sun shining on her face and Akiva would not.

 

Monday, July 26th, 2021

Newton’s Cradle

 

 

 

 

 

For a good explanation of how Newton’s cradle really works, watch this video:

Sunday, July 25th, 2021

He followed me home…

Friday, July 23rd, 2021

Point Drouin Covered Bridge, Sunny Day

For my dad’s 79th birthday, I took my children to play at the Point Drouin covered bridge in Compton.

He was unable to come. Happy birthday, Dad!

 

 

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021

Camping at Mont Megantic

Whenever I hear the name “Megantic,” I think of this horrible train accident that occurred on July 5th, 2013. I heard about the crash on the radio while driving to Quebec with my one-year-old daughter, Iris, and her father, Martin, the man who I eventually married and remain married to a decent number of years later. Am I not lucky?

 

Because that was the first I ever heard of Lac-Megantic, the national park and dark-sky preserve will forever be tied in my mind to a train carrying 72 oil tankers that crashed and burned in the middle of a small town. On that day, the beauty of a sky full of stars exploded into an inferno so bright it rivaled the lights of Quebec City as seen from space.

 

As they sayβ€” at least for nowβ€” “life goes on.”

 

We went to the national park & dark sky preserve with our friends, the Maurice Family Girls. It is great to camp with friends and kids! I love it. I did not take any photos excepting on this one day when I was particularly tired. I stayed above on the bridge for a while, using my camera as an excuse to view Claudia and the children from afar. In the entire national park (which I admit we saw very little of), this little river crossing was voted the absolute best place.

 

 

The maroon girls work on the mouth of the canal. Akiva attempts various bridges.

TabΓ©a works on an independent study. Claudia keeps the peace.

 

 

 

Iris fixes the walls of a pond. TabΓ©a’s tripple-pond complex is revealed.

Back at the canal, bridge construction is not looking good.

 

 

 

Akiva attempts a different style of bridge at the opposite end of the canal from the initial construction.

It works!

 

 

 

Iris says she is all out of English stories.

She begins a series of French stories for TabΓ©a while sitting atop something tall, hollow, and resonant.

 

 

 

Sunday, July 4th, 2021

Rope Rhymes

I.

Iris Spins for Akiva for a Long Long Time

 

Cinderella

Dressed in yella’

Wen tup stairs ta

Kiss ‘er fella

By mistake she

Kissed a snakeβ€”

How many doctors

Did it take?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II.

Akiva Spins for Iris but Gives Up Quickly

 

Pleece-min, pleece-min

Do yer dooty

Here come

Ziris the American beauty

Sheekin wibble

Sheekin wobble

Sheekin doothe double splits

Bud I betchew

A doller

Thatshe can’t’do this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

III.

Mama Spins with One Hand while Holding the Camera in the Other

 

Eekka kadeekka

Ka-dusk ka-day

Rufftie pufftie, carmel-a

Wippity wappity

Poppity pappity

Meepity mappity

Moppity may

X spells she sells

Wedding bells

And snail shells

Eekka kadeekka

Ka-dusk ka-day

Rufftie pufftie, carmel-a!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took 255 photos of the kids jumping rope. These aren’t nearly half the good ones.