December/January Gyres

I feel unreasonably good considering that it's early February. Of course, having a car this year has made the winter pass more easily. Having a car, heat, hot water, room to play, places to go...it almost seems unfair, really. (Actually, it is unfair. but the least I can do is appreciate it, I think.)

We've been going out so often that staying at home can sometimes be a nice change of pace. Yesterday we did just that, and River and I spent a lot of the day playing Zingo (by the rules for the first time! If you don't count the fact that he wanted to use the "sun" tile on the "star" space. Well, yes, technically...).

He also dragged the kitchen scale upstairs because he wanted to weigh things, and we spent a lot of time talking about heavy and light, pounds and ounces, you know...scale stuff.

River's passions have definitely taken a turn for the more traditionally academic recently, and it's really interesting to watch. At three and a half, he is driven to learn about numbers and letters, weights, building, machines, drawing, plants and animals, and generally questioning why things are the way they are. It seems so perfectly normal and intuitive, like this kind of learning should be taken for granted (rather than the opposite).


Violet has been really sweet and fun, too. She's into books, music, and climbing to the top of dangerous things to shake them. Yup, I think she's a Gyre, blue eyes and curls notwithstanding. It's especially funny when she rides her rocking horse in daredevil style - practicing to be a circus equestrienne, I think! But she is learning, too, of course. This morning I watched her lie down on the couch and scoot carefully to the edge to peer over, where last week she probably would have barreled over the edge at full speed. And she is so cute and giggly and squeezable.

They're so fun right now. And before we know it, it will be spring. I'm definitely feeling like a pretty lucky mama.