There’s nothing like the cold, hard wakeup call of a “Weekly Roundup” to jolt one into the realization that you’ve been terribly remiss in posting photos of your month in training.
As Miranda and I saw the sad, lonely, single blog post sent out this week in the “weekly” email, I felt incredibly small. So we thought we’d share a few images from the last week or so, all having something to do with the “creek” behind our apartment building.
It’s not so much a creek as it is a regularly wet ditch, which has eroded over the years to have somewhat vertical banks, much like a very, very, very small creek. The kids love it–a constant source of water-and-mud-based fun, as well as laundry.
Nightcrawler (left) and Beast demonstrate the awesome greatness that is the “creek.” It’s been the best thing about afternoons at our place for weeks–we couldn’t keep any of them out of it if we wanted to, I think.
They come home from the homeschool host family, and the MK Station (like daycare), change clothes, and out the door they go, as soon as lunch can be consumed. If we let them, they’d play there all day. One of the things they’ve taken to recently, as seen in a closeup of Nightcrawler and Beast below, is taking the mud of the creek and making facepaint designs, a la Lord of the Flies or the kids in Mad Max 3 (Thunderdome).
Every day, the kids come home with more mudpaint on their faces. I appreciate their creativity.
When they’re not playing in the “creek,” they’re likely playing near the “creek,” as Wolverine and I did a few days ago. We both needed to get out of the apartment for a while, so he and I went on a photo walk–me with my camera and he with his. He thought it was amazing fun to make photos of me making photos of him.
Wolverine LOVES his camera. He’s the one who’s taken to the concept of photography more than any of the others. We went out the other night after dinner and I made some photos of him, making photos of me.
Another of their favorite activities is to create pots and bowls from the mud in the “creek.” And, I have to say, the mud there is well-suited to these creative pursuits–thick, rich, red, clay-based mud. It’s always wet anyhow, so there’s a constant supply of water to help in shaping their vessels.
There’s a group of kids who spend most of their time making pots and bowls from the “creek” mud. This is one of Cyclop’s creations.
And, inevitably, after a day spent playing at the creek, they come home with hands (and feet, and knees, and bottoms, and faces, and…) that are stained red from the clay. It’s proof of a day well spent, enjoying the little things God has blessed us with while we’re here. I honestly pray that we can find something like this in Germany, once we arrive–some place where the kids can safely be kids, while exploring what it means to truly delight in the Creator’s creation.
Phoenix shows off her hands after a day spent playing at the “creek.” She spent the day making pots and bowls. I made her wash these off outside before she came inside.