Boreal Witch

Joshua loves zoos and aquariums, but he had already been to the Milwaukee Zoo the year before. I suggested we visit the Madison Zoo since we hadn't been there yet. The Madison Zoo is pretty popular among my group of friends because it's free but also because there is a huge playground in the middle of the park. A family could easily spend the whole day there and not see the same exhibit twice. 

I'm amazed that this zoo is sustainable, simply because there is no admission cost. It must also get municipal or state funding to keep it going. Blythe and I both slipped them a twenty for admission.

The age difference between Josh and my boys meant that there were a couple times during the visit that either one or the other were uninterested in whatever we happened to be doing at that moment. Josh didn't care about the playgrounds and the boys didn't care about the monkeys.

They all, however, enjoyed the ice cream.

Blessed be. 

Mostly, I love going back to these places because I love seeing my boys' reactions. They both love the farm the same way I did as a little girl. Arthur's writing book contains sentences like, "I love playing at the farm," "I love visiting the farm," and "I go to the farm." 

We went to the Cave of the Mounds on Saturday. I had not been there since I was seven; Blythe was six. Dad said he went through when he was twelve. Neither Dad nor Blythe remembered anything about their previous visits. Josh worried he'd have to hike over mountains to get through. We assured him he would not. Arthur and Balin were ambivalent. 

The area is more commercial than I remember it, but the caves were exactly the same: beautiful ribbon-like patterns in the rock eked out by streams of water, pools of clear water begging to be drunk, and the security of the cool, dry air. 

Blythe and I admired the view a little too long - lost in the natural features of the caves - that the lights went out on us. We froze. Luckily, we stood near a staircase and managed to use the banister to find our way up and back to the group. It was eerily wondrous, being almost alone in a dark, quiet cave. The guide informed us that during Discovery Day all of the lights are turned off and attendants use flashlights to find their way through. Sounds like the most amazing adventure.

After the tour, we went to the gift shop where Auntie Blythe (unsurprisingly) spoiled the boys by buying sacks of sand and treasure. They eagerly sifted through the sand and water, pulling out shiney rocks, shark's teeth, and fossils and collected them in plastic baggies, excited to bring them home.

On the way home, we stopped in Dodgeville. Like most small towns in midwest America, there wasn't much there...except for a Land's End shop and wearhouse! Kind of a strange place to house a major corporation, but then again, Fat Wallet is headquartered in Beloit. Fewer taxes, I guess.

Blessed be.

I'm jealous of all the fun things my sisters and Mom get to do together. I'm sad that my boys don't get to play with their cousins very often. I wish Robinson and I could play lots of fun games with my teenage nephew, Josh. We miss out on holidays and Alaskan summers and birthday dinners. (To be fair, we miss out on all of these things with Robinson's family, too.)

We were supposed to take Joshua to Niagara Falls this summer. Then Dad (as he unintentionally does) hijacked the trip and because of Arthur's school schedule (tacking on four extra snow days at the end of the year) and Robinson's work schedule (big, stressful project) we couldn't go. Then Mom and Joshua arrived and spent the weekend with us and then were whisked away to the farm. 

Then Becky arrived with her girls. We didn't think we'd get to see them at all. Then the farm's water pump broke. Might take a while to fix, the guy said, so Robinson drove up to the farm on a Thursday night to retrieve Mom and Josh. A dry house with two kids and four adults is stressful. Having lived with a 1000-gallon water tank for five years and running out of water multiple times, I'm familiar with the situation. We assumed we were being helpful. Dad thought we were outrageously ridiculous. 

Secretly, though, I was pleased that Mom and Josh were staying with us. I felt that the Universe was on my side. We had a blast. We played games and went shopping. We made decadent no-bake cookies and delicious dinners. We went swimming. Robinson and I went on a date. When Dad came to take Josh back to the farm, Josh didn't want to leave. 

Mom stayed behind for another week. We went to Pilates and played with the boys. She took the bus down to Kansas a few days early to visit her sisters. (She had already been to Niagara Falls and was uninterested in seeing it again.) Mom has a tendency to talk non-stop about work. While she stayed with us, she hardly talked about work. I wonder if this is a sign that's she's more interested in retiring.

We only got to see Becky and her girls for a day, which was really too bad. Last year, the kids were on the farm together for about a month and they played together so well. Arthur speaks of Molly often. Arthur loves to boss Molly around and usually finds a more willing participant than his younger brother. 

As with all family visits, the exhaustion sets in after everyone leaves. No rest for the weary. My middle sister arrives next week...

Blessed be.