weapons of massdistraction

The little man has always been a fickle creature. And he’s been locked in a fairly uncooperative phase for a while now, though the lad will occasionally surprise me. The weekend was a mixed bag. Friday afternoon’s swimming lesson went, well, swimmingly (oy, I’m turning into my Dad, what with the bad puns and all). Seriously, it was fantastic. He was mostly listening to his instructor during the lesson, but the real magic occurred afterwards, when we stuck around for another hour or so. His comfort level in the water has increased tenfold over the last few weeks. For the first time he went completely under water willingly, without coercion. It was actually his idea. And, like any other time he gets stuck in a routine, he proceeded to bob underwater several dozen more times in succession. Showing him how to hold his breath, and his nose, really helped with this. We even bobbed under water together, hand-in-hand (this from a boy who has screeched and put up a fight every single time we’ve shampooed his hair in the last several years). Truly magical moments.

Saturday was a different day. I’d hoped to swing by some Art-A-Whirl happenings before the pillow fight. But that wasn’t to be. At least I was able to get him to Logan Park. But upon arrival there was only one person he was familiar with, and the playground lured him away. Not that I can blame him. Playground equipment has got to be far more interesting to a six year-old than a handful of strange adults clutching pillows. Thankfully some more folks arrived. It was a small yet enthusiastic turnout, with the pillow fight erupting spontaneously. But it wasn’t until it was sorta dying down that the little man got into the swing of things…and proceeded to pick on one of my friends almost exclusively. Good times.

Afterwards I tried to convince the lad we should go Art-A-Whirling, but he was having none of it. He wanted to go home. Until I mentioned the Minneapolis Central Library’s grand opening festivities. I guess I’ve raised him right, because the lad has a thing for libraries. He perked right up at that idea, so away we went. But the crush of humanity was too much for this claustrophobic mama. We’ll go back when it’s less intense, and I’ll be able to whip out my camera without fear of losing my child. All the talk of the library opening led me to remember something…that I’d taken photos of the old library’s closing, back in 2002. So I uploaded those photos to flickr.

I completely spaced on the fact that a friend was hosting a vegan potluck/bbq Saturday evening. For weeks I’d been planning to attend, but somehow I just lost the plot. And, after we’d gotten home from running around Saturday afternoon, I was looking out the back patio as the sun finally came out, and thinking how nice a bbq would be. Stupid faulty brain. I need a refund. Anyhow, Sunday I’d hoped to make it out to Art-A-Whirl, but we didn’t even leave St. Paul. At least I did get to meet MrMan, and his mom, the fabulous Shokufeh. She’s even more adorable in real life.

Bonus: Oh, the craftiness over at Milk and Cake, with an idea from MakeZine made real. Maybe I ought to give that a try too…
Plus: Found through flickr, of course, a group of aerial acrobats who performed during half time at the Seattle Roller Derby. The best of both worlds! Speaking of flickr, I joined yet another pool that called to me (I am now a member of 627 of them, no lie, and yes, I realize this is sick and wrong). After adding a photo of the little man to it, it’s now been posted to the group pool’s blog: Mama Says Om.
And: My flipping iPod died again, so in the car yesterday I was toggling between Radio K and MPR. Happened to hear Garrison Kiellor, hosting PHC from my home-away-from-home, Reykjavik. I will go back. It might take another five years between trips, but oh yes, I will return. Did that sound ominous enough? Oops.