California Day 11

Today began with Mass at my beloved home parish. I am very grateful for last Sunday when I actually managed to be able to be inside the church for all of Mass, managing both children alone. Because at every other Mass on these visits, including today, I have spent the hour sitting on a bench in the hallway with the children (where the sound is not piped in, unfortunately) rather than in the near-silent Mass in the church without a cry room.

We came home and visited the fourth park within walking distance. Two kids on one end of a see-saw!

Aunt Stella pushing Mary (who almost fell asleep) on the swings

The disembodied hand coming between the children is Aunt Stella reaching through to make them laugh.

After lunch and naps (during which time Stella left to fly home), we trooped to the back yard for snack time and more playing. When I get home, I am seriously considering stocking our back yard with building supplies (bricks, big and little rocks, shells) because such things have kept them so very occupied here! You should see the things they build!

Tonight I introduced the children to IT'S-IT ice cream sandwiches, which are, sadly, only available West of the Rockies. It was a momentous occasion.

The kids loved them. I've rarely seen John eat anything so neatly. Now I have three reasons (me, John, Mary) someday to spend $86 to have a case of ice cream shipped across the country to us. And if Chris would become a devotee of these treats, then I'd have four reasons . . .

Random story from today: Mary invented a new game. She often signs MUSIC (a sign she invented) to ask me to sing. Today she would sign MUSIC, I'd start singing a song, then she'd interrupt me by saying "stop!" I'd stop singing immediately and she'd break into peals of laughter at her own ability to "control" me. Then she'd sign MUSIC again and we'd start all over. Start, stop!, laugh, start, stop!, laugh . . . . The game had me and John gripped with laughter too. So cute.