Last week at the library, Ruby found the audio book for The Wizard of Oz. I was a little hesitant because I haven’t had huge success with audiobooks in the car with the kids, but she was eager so we checked it out. And they couldn’t get enough of it. We went for several extra joy rides just so we could hear about what happened next. And arriving home was always met with disappointed faces and begging for a few more minutes.

One night this week, when Marc was working late, the kids and I were sword fighting through the house. Sword fighting is at the top of Levi’s favorite things. Multiple times a day he comes up to me with two swords in hand and asks with his raspy little voice and keen eyes, “You sword fight with me? Pweese?” Ruby, Levi, and I were dueling in a cut throat battle when I sliced off Ruby’s leg with a single blow, “Slice!” And she quickly responded back with, “Well, then I went to a tin smith and he made me a new leg just like the tin wood man!” Wizard of Oz win.

A different afternoon, Ruby was less than thrilled to be doing math when she made me a proposition, “Mom, how about we make a deal- we play tick tack toe. If you win I’ll finish my math, if I win we postpone school six hours??”

On a lazy morning we brought the bikes inside and rode circles around each other.

One sunny afternoon, Ruby and I sat at the table enjoying peach cups together when she paused and told me, “Do you remember back in the ole’ days when we use to just each peaches off Brad’s tree? That was good.” That was good Rubes.

One evening when everyone just needed to get some wiggles out we loaded up on the car, and listened to The Wizard of Oz, and went to Hewitt Park for Marc to teach us the basics of disc golf.