Tag: bright

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Conversations between Kids on the Swings

Flying high on the swings.
Conversations between kids while chatting and twisting the swings.
Kids chatting and twisting the swings.

Playground conversations between kids captured in kid-attracting sunlit candy tones.

Recent conversations between kids while playing at the park.

“Is that a dog?  I like dogs.  But I like cats better.  Especially our cat.  He’s so cute!”

“I think it is a dog.  Maybe it’s a coyote.  Do you think it’s a coyote?  Don’t they look like dogs?”

“Maybe it’s a horse.  We see lots of horses.”

“It’s because of the stables.”

“I like the trails and the hills.  Mostly the flowers.  And the butterflies.”

“I found some cool rocks.  Think we can polish them?  Also, I have a really good stick.  I want to save it but not inside.  Do coyotes like sticks as much as dogs do?”

 

Conversations between kids while also teaching how to twist the swings.
Conversations between Kids while also teaching how to twist the swings.

Discussing the best swinger

“I’m the champion swing twister in my school.  In my class at least.  This is how I do it.  You have to twist like this and then it goes for a really long time.”

“I like twisting too.  The swings on our playground are different and don’t twist as well.  Matthew twisted himself into the swings and fell down and didn’t even cry.  Then we had to go back inside so I didn’t try it and then I collected sand toys later.”

“Usually this works for a really long time.  I think these swings are different. But I still like swinging.  And the trails.  Maybe we can go to the pool later.  And have some ice cream.  We still have ice cream, right?  Ice cream is my favorite dessert.”

Conversations between kids: how many ways to use the swings?
More conversations between kids: how many ways to use the swings?

Conversations about Numbers and dogs

“I’m good at lots of things at school.  I’m really good at reading but my favorite subject is math.”
“Yeah, me too.  I’m good at math.  1 plus 4 is …. 5.  3 plus 5 is … 7.  No, wait — it’s 8.”

“Yeah well, I can multiply.  I like multiplying by 5.  It’s really easy.”

“I haven’t learned that yet.  But I can draw cats really well.  Especially smiling cats.  They like jumping.  And sleeping.”

“I still think we should get a dog.  I would walk it every day.  Maybe twice a day.  Or some fish.  Could we take the dog to the pool?  Dogs like to swim?  I’m a really good swimmer.  I’m faster than Josh.  Sometimes I run faster than he does too.  And I can build ninjas with legos better.  And faster.  Maybe we could build a city later.  And a car and an airplane.  Something cool that looks like a robot.”

“I’ll make a kitty to ride in the car.  Who is purple and can drive.”

 

Flying high on the swings.
Flying high on the swings.

Gatorade and Popsicles

“I’m higher than the house!  Higher than the whole world!”

“When do we go home?  It’s hot and I want to read my book.”

“I’m so high I’m in the sky!”

“I’m tired of drinking water.  Can I have some Gatorade when we get home?  I hope we have the orange kind.”

“I’m too high!  I need to get down!”

“That’s my favorite Gatorade.  The blue kind.  Also blue Popsicles.  No actually, the orange ones.”

“Thanks for getting me down.  I love swinging so high.  I was so high I could see the clouds and the bees.”

“Maybe I’ll have a blue Popsicle and orange Gatorade.”

“I like pink Gatorade.  No, pink lemolade.  Do we have lemolade?”

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Cub Scout Beach Day

Colorful canopy and sand looking toward the ocean.
Colorful canopy and sand looking toward the ocean.

Cub Scout Beach Day

The Cub Scout beach day was an afternoon at the beach cooking, eating and playing.  It was a rather hot day and the shade of a brightly-colored umbrella was a good resting and daydreaming spot.  The afternoon is not the usual time we are at the beach, but anytime is good beach time.  Normally, we go in the morning: less crowding and less heat.  This means less sunscreen and shade required.  This particular day was especially warm, unusual for the California coast.

Bech day: people strolling past a variety of beach canopies.
People strolling past a variety of beach canopies.

Beach culture

We shared this gorgeous day with what felt like half the population of the town.  While this was certainly not the busiest beach we’ve visited lately, we saw a good bit of human traffic that day.  Although parking was scarce, and the taco stand line was long, sand space was still plentiful and the waves were uncrowded.  The cabana rentals seemed to be a brisk business as they were all full.  

There was a good-sized private event also in the afternoon.  Many people stood line at a food truck waiting for what looked and smelled like tasty barbecue.  There was also volleyball, along with various other ball and disc throwing.  Walking around required occasionally dodging although a random missile.  This was in addition to the usual surfing, sunning and sand building also going on so it was busy.  Fortunately, the sun was never-ending and there was enough beach and waves for all.  It also made for something else to watch besides the water.

Daydreaming on a hot day on the hot sand.
Daydreaming on a hot day on the hot sand.

Kid culture

The kids spent the day running about in small groups playing in the sand and water, mixed with daydreaming and rest.  Even their boundless energy flagged after a while in the hot sun.  While they dashed about, they created their own mini-culture. While the older boys usually decided the activities, they changed leadership as needed by the task.  They often would break into smaller groups, then reform into larger ones.  These had different kids influencing the activities, even the younger ones.  Each time we gather them together, they continue to build their communication and persuasion skills.  While the outdoor skills may be the most obvious ones the kids gain, it’s these less easily defined ones that may be the greatest thing they learn.

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Dewy roses

Unfurling rose covered in dew.
Unfurling roses covered in dew.

While I love plants and gardening, it does typically take more time than what I’ve been able to devote to it, so I am grateful when a plant is gorgeous without too much help.  When we moved to this house, the rose bush was in place and I’ve done nothing more than clip a few long leaders and remove any faded blooms.  Since there is a sprinkler head adjacent to the plant, no watering is required.  About every three months, the bush covers itself with similar blossoms.  Interestingly, the color seems to shift.  This set of blooms was very bright.  Since then, it has made lighter colors, so we’ll keep track and see what it does next.