The route of the paper

Last night the kids drew a big chalk town complete with a movie theatre, library and waterslide park. My daughter proceeded to deliver newspapers to each of the addresses along the route. It became a very intricate game and the construction of new addresses was steady throughout the evening. It occurred to me that her generation of kids will likely be the very last for it to even occur to pretend to be a newspaper deliverer. The kids born in the coming years likely won't even come into contact with newspapers that you can buy off a shelf, let alone ones that get delivered to your home.

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A Small Craft

I accompanied my mother-in-law to an appointment this week. On the paper, preparing her for the appointment, it invited her bring along something to read or a small craft. As soon as I heard about this invitation to bring a small craft into an otherwise austere waiting area, my mind started to do bouncing somersaults in many different directions. Googly eyes? Glue gun? Feathers? Play clay? Friendship braclets?

The words coming out of my mouth

These days I wear a mask. I don't wear a mask all of the time, only when I am indoors or unavoidably up close with people who I don't usually interact with. I wear one when I am ordering things, or buying things or attempting to enjoy some form of public entertainment. I cannot rely on reading others lips. My lips are hidden. We ask each other to repeat. We move our eyes or our whole heads to try and enunciate more clearly. I say fewer words, more carefully chosen words behind the mask. Sometimes that is helpful, sometimes that just causes more confusion. I walked into the woods. I did not need a mask. I only saw a few other people and they were distanced. Masks were unnecessary. After so much talking and not talking and avoiding talking out loud I am forced to examine when I speak and when I choose not to. This is not a bad thing since I can be an insufferable chatter box, just a new thing for my brain to adjust itself to. When I am not standing aro...

Balloon request

Recently, my kids attended a magic show at their friend's party. At the very end, the magician asked each child to select a balloon and encouraged each child to come forward and request it be shaped into one of the following: -a giraffe -a monkey -a puppy -a sword After numerous requests for swords and an occasional monkey, my son was the very last child to make a request. Oblivious to the pre-selected options, he put a great deal of careful thought into what would be the coolest balloon shaped object. He looked up at the magician, passed him his balloon and asked him if he could make him a sweater. If you could defy physics and find a magical balloon artist, what would you request?

Growing Versions

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