What I've Learned This Weekend

1. I have a budding photographer daughter. Roxie received a baby pine tree from school on National Arbor Day. We planted it in the front yard, and she took this amazing photo. Most years we forget to plant it right away, and the roots dry out, and it becomes compost...This year, she marked it with a stick and bright ribbon, we explained to Max the Lawn Mower Man where it is, and it has survived a weekend! She is outside watering it this morning.
2. There are more bugs than I thought in Maryland. The high school student who displayed these caught them in MD!

3. Our state tree looks like this.
(I chaperoned 7th grade field trip to Aberdeen Proving Ground.)
4. Sam has some talented dexterous finger manipulating skills. One of the environmental science lab booths taught Sam how to change an air filter on a test mechanism. The head of the lab exclaimed that he wished he had some of his soldiers there to watch Sam do it easily the first try. They use 16 year olds as summer interns, and said he would hire Sam in a few years.
5. Smokey doesn't talk, but he knows ASL. I said, "I loved Smokey when I was growing up!" He signed back that he loved me, too. And I thanked him back.
6. My husband is shrinking and I look like I am growing...

7. The 1000 piece puzzle challenge that the whole family helped with (with no picture, we didn't know what we were putting together until we were 3/4 way done). I forget how much I love puzzles. It is relaxing and very satisfying, finding just the right piece to fit the right spot. I told Stewart as we were working on it together that I create a visual vocabulary to describe just the right shape, right colors, and thrill when I can pick out that one little piece and fit it in. I learned that more of my family likes a puzzle challenge than I thought, and it is something we will set up again in the future and eat on the breakfast bar just to preserve the puzzle for a few more days of putting together. (This is what happens when you buy a puzzle at a garage sale).