Wild child

Last night before bed, per our usual bedtime ritual, I read to Norah for a bit. She chose the old How Does it Work? book Zach had from his childhood. We read the page about magnets, electromagnets, and engines. Riveting stuff. We did touch on compasses, though, so today, when she and I took the dog for a long walk around the neighborhood, I decided we needed to apply that knowledge a bit to our make-believe. We found some woods between two streets and went on a survival mission through it. I asked her what she had in her survival pack, like a compass, matches, a canteen, food, tools, weapons, etc. She replied that she didn't have a pack because she's so resourceful she can scavenge and make all of those things herself using her environment. Damn. Still, though, it was fun to get away from the TV, use our imaginations a bit, and connect with the outdoors. I so badly wish we lived in the country sometimes. We stopped in the lawn of a factory on Whirlpool with incredibly lush, soft grass (how they avoided the draught the rest of us are facing I don't know.) We took our shoes off and ran around, and I told her that was exactly how I spent my childhood: barefoot and wild outside. I hope she can experience some of that wonder, as well.

The rest of the day we're doing stuff around the house. Norah and I just made glitter pen pictures, and when Levi wakes from his nap we're heading to Valpo to do some pre-trip shopping for things like allergy pills and sunscreen. Tomorrow night Zach and I are dropping off the children and heading to Chicago to camp out at the airport for our crack of dawn flight. I decided it'd be more economical, and more fun, to find adventures at O'Hare than to pay for a hotel room we'd only be in for a few hours. I'm really looking forward to some people watching, some magazine reading, and some awkward/uncomfortable dozing on the departures floor. Is that weird that I'm looking forward to something I described as awkward and uncomfortable? Anyway, when we return I'll post tons of pics from our time in the Rockies. Cannot wait to be out west! Check my facebook if you want to see some snapshots while we're there. As they say on "Looney Tunes," Bon Voyah-gee!