Oliver had a sleepover at Grammie’s on Saturday night, so the next morning Dave, Julia and I went out for breakfast with my father. We recently discovered a new restaurant that serves up hearty, home made meals for cheap, with home fries that are to die for. Seriously – they put this seasoning on them that is out. of. this. world.
So we had our breakfast, and then we headed out to my grandmother’s farm to pack more things up. Julia was the designated newspaper ripper, my dad and I filled boxes and Dave packed the cars. Between the four of us, we were able to get a lot accomplished in a short period of time.
After about an hour or so, Dave took Julia for a walk, camera in hand. It was a gorgeous day – the sky was a magnificent shade of blue with nary a cloud to be seen and the grass was that brilliant, bright Irish green that spring brings. They poked around in the barn, too, and when Julia came back she had a small woven bag that had seen better days slung over her shoulder, full of goodies.
“Look, Mummy! Daddy said I could keep it,” she gushed, opening the bag long enough for me to peek in. I spotted an old pair of binoculars, a few books, a tiny framed picture and a pack of cork coasters before she ran off to inspect her new stuff, which kept her occupied until it was time to go.
She had an appointment with a dermatologist yesterday to have a wart removed, a wart the doctor said was “thick” and that might need to be treated again in a few weeks. She was a trooper – I was so proud of her – but it hurt, and she spent the rest of the day either on the couch in the den or in bed, sleeping.
While the kids were napping I puttered around the house and wound up in the garage, attempting to sort through some of the boxes we’d brought back with us from the farm. I was just about to go back inside when I spotted the bag Julia had found while we were there. She’d been asking about it, so when she woke up I gave it to her.
She was thrilled to see it again – it never ceases to amaze me how, out of a houseful of bright, loud, expensive toys, it’s the ratty bag pulled from a barn that my kid wants to play with.
I was washing dishes when she piped up from her spot on the couch and asked me if I’d read her a story. I dried my hands, went into the den and asked her if she had a something in mind.
She pulled a small blue book from her bag and handed it to me. “This one,” she said.
I had to laugh when I saw what she’d given me: a 93-year old copy of Julius Caesar.
22 Comments, Comment or Ping
Hee hee – nothing like a little light reading there… :) Sounds like you had a good weekend!
May 27th, 2008
It’s been a long time since I commented here, but I’ve been lurking. This is beautiful. While I understand your desire for privacy, I really wish I could see those pictures of Julia exploring the farm and the barn. It sounds wonderful.
It really is funny what kids will take a fancy to over all the things the world expects them to love. I can see any of my four preferring on odd discovery from gramma’s barn over a store bought toy.
I hope Julia feels better today. And I have to ask… did you read it to her in Latin?
May 27th, 2008
just a little light reading for the resting, what’s wrong with that?
May 27th, 2008
They don’t call ‘em classics for nothin!
May 27th, 2008
Yes, the old. Kids are often smarter than we give them credit for. I took my kids yard-saling this past weekend. My son was morose ’cause he couldn’t find anything. We found ourselves at this old brick house that I love with an elderly couple hosting a sale. They asked why he was so glum. I said he was sad cause he hadn’t found any treasures yet this day. They warned, “Oh, he won’t find anything here from us old people.” I warned back, “You’d be surprised!” I explained that my kids love old stuff: bottles, skeleton keys, old discoloured books…The elderly man dragged out three old insulators from atop electric lines. He had found them in his wall when renovating. 3 for 50cents! Can you imagine… And how they catch the light up in my children’s windows!
Please, you’re killing me! Publish pictures of the farm! Even if only the stuff so as to not reveal the location. Please! Just to see the stuff. Just to glimpse it…
May 27th, 2008
I hope Julia feels better.
(And good luck explaining the concept of betrayal to a five year old.)
May 27th, 2008
Julius Caesar, eh? love that. i would totally take that over the books Emily wants to read to me…Hannah Montana and Zooey 101. i need to stop bringing them home from work..they are killing me!
May 27th, 2008
My kids always played with the boxes more than the toys. Now I wish for the cheap, plastic toys as ipods and video games are just too damn expensive (and don’t come in boxes).
a.
P.S …would also loooooove to see pics of the farm.
May 27th, 2008
Excellent! An appreciation for the classics. Start ‘em young!
May 27th, 2008
Bet that was some good readin!
May 27th, 2008
I’m going to start throwing my copy of Julius Caesar into my daughter’s crib. “This is how you incite a crowd kid. Go not to honor Caesar, but to bury him. Learn it. Live it. Love it.”
May 27th, 2008
i always like it when my kids pick up my coding books off the bookshelf and ask me to read to them. .NET Directory Services really works well as a bedtime story.
May 27th, 2008
She’s a cool kid!
May 27th, 2008
Well, hey, Crime and Punishment is sooooo preschool.
May 27th, 2008
Years ago I picked up the complete Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It fires the imagination and translocates you to a time and place you would otherwise never visit.
I started reading those to Kat at 6 weeks. My wife thinks I am nuts. Now I can show her that young’uns want to read Julius Ceasar!
May 27th, 2008
I found Dante’s Inferno wedged under Bumper’s mattress. They are smarter than us, aren’t they?
May 27th, 2008
The kid is a trooper.
And has great taste.
Like her momma.
Wink, wink.
May 28th, 2008
Nothing like some light reading, eh? ;)
May 28th, 2008
Heh. I like her.
And did you read it to her?
May 28th, 2008
She’s into the classics, eh?
I *heart* her. :)
May 28th, 2008
Hmmm….hearty homemade meals for cheap with good homefries? HOOK.ME.UP!
May 29th, 2008
Perfect summer reading!
What, no?
;)
May 29th, 2008
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