YAHOO!

Yesterday was the last half-day of school! Yahoo! I am happier about this than the children are. No more worrying about getting to bed "on time" so we can get up "on time" and get out the door "on time" and to school "on time". No more checking if there is homework, checking if homework is done, checking if it is done well, checking if it got handed in, checking to see if there are lunch foods, making the wretched lunches, making sure they are remembered. Making sure uniforms get washed....and on and on. Merely going to school is nothing. It is the staging that is where the work comes in.

The weather was warm and sunny and joyous to fit my mood. I suggested an impromptu picnic. Maxim was out of this scene as he has one more week of finals, and Sergei who, as an 8th grader, got out early last week was home with Ilya. But the littles and I stopped at McDonalds, a moderately rare treat, and then went to a sweet little park we know.

This park, up until a few weeks ago was under water because we had such a rainy spring, but now it is arrayed with dazzling emerald green grass. Gorgeous. Except for one circular area of mud, the last bit that was under water, I suppose.

Of course the children headed for this muddy area. I followed and settled on the soft grass nearby. As I leaned back, there was the most unsettling feeling! I could swear that as I put my hand back onto the grass, something under the earth moved! I sat bolt upright. What the heck was that? It wasn't a bug. Way too big. It wasn't something in the grass. It was under the earth. Something living. No. I must be imagining things. Then Zhen cried, "Look!" and out hopped a frog. He must have been dug into the earth right under me. Well....it certainly could have been worse! But I decided not to sit on the grass any more!

The frog hopped out onto the muddy area and of course Z and A followed. Of course there were more wonders out there! Nastya busied herself finding dead fish and arranging them by size. (Yes; I confess I am the sort of mother who allows her child to play with dead fish.) Zhen played with the frog. Eventually they ended up in the river, catching real fish, undoubtedly inspired by the university student who was practicing fly fishing and actually caught an enormous carp. I had presumed he was just practicing until he hauled it in. There is some serious quality to his practicing as he laid it out and took a photo of it before throwing it back. He was also nice enough to open its mouth and show us its teeth.

Altogether it was a lovely few hours. Rare. I just sat and dozed. Delighted in the peace. Yahoo, indeed!