School left undone, housework postponed, weeds abundant and overgrown, it is not the end of the world, it is only the end of the week. He assures me...
that it is perfectly wonderful and right to put everything aside to become archaeologists for the day. 
Or two or three.
The task begins with a slab of soft clay-like sediment. Unsure hands begin to excavate and clean broken pieces of authentic replicas of a Roman vase, bowl and sundial on a warm November day. Little treasures are collected and stored to be glued and preserved, though the biggest gold mine is not found among the pottery at all, but in the dynamics of watching relationships grow between sisters as they nourish one another in the garden. How much is this day worth?
Priceless.
The day after digging comes dissecting. I try to imagine how a teacher can be successful with thirty teenagers in a high school laboratory class upon instructing them to rip apart an earthworm in less than 1.5 hours because it takes the two of us one full morning to REALLY appreciate the intestine, ventral nerve cord, and ganglia of our specimen without throwing up all over each other.
I definitely love her for her bold sense of humor.
The following day we read a 65 page play by the Greek playwright, Aristophanes, called "The Clouds." Big, BIG mistake. One should never assume that just because a person lived more than 2000 years ago, he wouldn't have written material that most mothers would find highly offensive. Alas, my very young teenagers know more about Greek culture than they would have ever needed to, and there is not a single doubt left in our minds as to why Greek women were not allowed to attend the theater.
RETREAT, RETREAT! Grandpa invites us on Friday to his backyard spa and we drive two hours to get there.
But it's worth it. Three different varieties of chocolate covered vanilla ice-cream hide behind his freezer door and Mom agrees that a sampling from each box is mandatory. Grandpa slaps a five (dollar bill) in each of their palms and tells his granddaughters they can have anything they want whenever they come to visit. I'm only just beginning to appreciate why Grandparents are so very important. Indulgence does a heart good now and then.
I sought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4
1 comment:
Awesome post. You are such a great hs mom. I have no doubt that Holly and I would race through the dissection at record speed. And when Trevor reassembled his broken pot, he asked me to keep him company. I probably sighed loudly before sitting down next to him. :/
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