Monday, August 5, 2024

The First

Inspirational song: You Can Do Magic (America)

While the collective anxiety of the internet goes bonkers with speculation and rumors, we found ways to keep busy and keep our minds off of guessing games. By the time most people read this, the guessing game will be over anyway. 

Our girl has attained the ripe old age of "summer camp eligible." Grandpa set her up with a three-day camp this week at the climbing gym, and surprised her with it this morning. She had a four-year-old's attention span, which was right on target with her peers in the class. There was some focus, some wandering, some climbing, and some just playing and zoning out. Grandpa forgot to specify that she would need socks under her climbing shoes, so she got little blisters. Tomorrow will be better, and she'll have more food and drink with her for snack time.

She came home with a fast-food lunch with grandpa, and wanted to just hang out here as long as she could get away with it. I had a glimpse of our future, in which she comes over randomly just to have her own experience here, and I love the idea of it. She doesn't require us actively following her around. She can pull out toys she wants, she can ask for entertainment or snacks. She can be trusted with most things. We just need to be present, physically and mentally, and the rest is easy.

We were cuddling in my chair, watching videos on YouTube, but she kept squirming like she was uncomfortable. I suggested we go where she could stretch out and watch the big TV. As we got her set up on my bed, with all the pillows where she wanted them, I offered her my large Squishmellow, a Ravenclaw raven. She didn't know what a raven was, much less what Ravenclaw meant. It was time to remedy that. I couldn't find the Harry Potter movies on any streaming service we already pay for, but I wasn't defeated. Yay, physical media! I put in the DVD of the first movie, and talked her through the first half of it, explaining what I assumed she needed a boost for. We made it through to the very first potions class with Snape before her attention was spent. She did better than I expected. We can finish it some other time.

While we watched, I let her hold the fancy wand I bought at Ollivander's in Universal Studios. I worried she would break the fragile tip, so I traded her the big stack of wand blanks I had collected from trees that we trimmed here and on the mountain. She chose one she liked, and said she wanted red on it (her favorite color). I finished sanding it, and then burnished it with a smooth jasper rock that came from Lake Superior (from the Mr's summer trip). I got out the wood burner and put moons, stars, and lightning bolts on it, and then painted them red. I think it came out pretty neat. I can't wait to give it to her tomorrow. I hope she likes it.

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