Monday, October 19, 2009

Science and Memory Lane on a Monday in October

Today we had sunshine! Sometimes that seems like a miracle, like it is today. We will have a whole day of it! We've had gray skies for about 2 weeks now... I told the kids we were going to take the recycling in to our local recycling plant (an often outing for us) to accomplish saving the earth, cleaning out the garage, and getting our 15 minute daily (well, not here in Ohio) dose of Vitamin D.
Travis and I have been discussing how we both seem to have been feeling not so good mentally lately, and as I know that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and our chemical makeups are very similar, we could probably both use some additional Vitamin D for the winter. In addition to taking advantage of the sun we do have, we will be buying some liquid emulsion vitamin D. I am going to get my D levels tested before and after we begin the vitamins to have a record of them. Sound like a science experiment?! :) Travis of course will observe it as part of daily life...
After the recycling where Aaron and Jaidyn seperated the glass, plastic, and paper, we went to the library. They were closed, but there was a man in the parking lot who looked like he was putting wires into the cement. Travis urged me to ask what he was doing. We ended up with a private mini-lesson in which the kids learned how cement cures, gets cut to prevent uneven cracks when shrinking, and that process takes approximately 30 days. At the point (which happened around today), you need to put roping (which was what we mistook for wiring) into the cracks, and seal them over with caulk to prevent water from freezing in them and seperating the concrete. Travis was completely intrigued and soaked in the info like a sponge. You think it had something to do with the fact that he wanted to know about it??? :) LOL
On the way home, we were discussing concrete, and I remembered that the driveway to our old house on the hill, which we had just passed, had Jesse, Travis, and Savannah's handprints in it from the year 2000, when we had it poured. Savannah was 6 months old at the time, Travis 2.5 years, and Jesse 4 years.
We turned around to go see the handprints. They were sooo tiny!! :) Travis was overwhelmed with nostalgia. He and Savannah have always held that house in their hearts as a very special place. Travis lived their from age 2.5 to age 5. It is truly amazing to me how much he remembers from that time. He asked the current resident if he and Aaron could come in and take a trip through memory lane. She let them in, and he remembered exactly how our furniture had been arranged and enjoyed the fact that much of it was still the same. His dad had built a school room for Jesse in the basement, and it turns out it's still there, only an office now. Travis remembered just where he, his older brother, and his dad stood to take their picture while they were all wearing Superman shirts. He remembered the spot that his brother hit his head on the basement floor when they were pushing each other over inside cardboard boxes.
Back outside he marveled at the water basin that used to be full of weeds, and is now grass covered. He found the spot that he, his older brother, and younger sister picnicked on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with their toddler sized table.
He, Aaron, and Jaiydn took advantage of the grassy hills for rolling down fun...