In one of my first acting classes the professor assigned this improv exercise.  “You are going on a trip - a week long cruise.  Pantomime packing in a way that represents your personality.”  It seems I was the fifth or sixth student perform but I could have easily gone first.  I knew exactly what I would do for I had (up to that point) always packed for a trip in exactly the same way.  Sitting quietly for several minutes with a notepad close at hand I’d jot down a packing list.  Then, trusting the list as gospel, I’d pull out each outfit and miscellaneous item arranging them on my bed by expected day of use.  Once satisfied with the groupings I’d carefully pack everything into a bag and sit it by the door.  All of this would, of course, be done at least one if not two days ahead of the actual trip.  And I’d never - ever stay up late the night before. 

My, oh my, how things change.  Tomorrow Today we leave for our first real family vacation ever.  (We’re spending 3 days here.)  Of the four people going, I am responsible to pack for three of them yet there is no bag sitting patiently by the front door.  Instead between all the “Honey, can you…?”s and “Mama, I need…”s, I spent the day clearing out my inbox and the evening playing this game and this one too.  It will be just past midnight when I click the publish button but I am not worried.  I know things will turn out well because they always do and that’s the real change.  The young me that packed so systematically did so out of fear and worry and because she felt compelled to control every detail lest life try to move forward without her permission.  The now me accepts that life always moves forward and riding the flow is so much more enjoyable … not to mention more exciting.

Begin by listening to this famous storyteller.

Have lunch with Dad.  Discuss the business behind those insipid claw machines that take your money and still keep their cutesy stuffed animals.

Attend a magic show.

Return home inspired.  Make up your own magic trick.

Discover this bug on your morning glories and spend time finding out what it is, what it eats, where it lives and why it’s golden.  Also look for snails.

Check on the potato plant your growing in a garbage can.

Watch a Snook video from the library.

Try your magic trick on Dad … it works!

Finally get brave enough to knock on your neighbor’s door to see if he can come out to play instead of waiting outside hoping he’ll see you and come out on his own.  He’s not home but now you know you can do it.

Play Star Wars with Dad.

Read a chapter from the second Spirit book with Mom - We’re halfway through!

Get some rest.  You deserve it.

This past December on an unexpected trip to OKC we visited the Omniplex. Excuse me … that’s what it was called back when I was a kid. Recently they’ve gussied up the place and now it’s the Science Museum Oklahoma. Sounds respectable and imposing doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. Imposing, that is. They have all sorts of hands on exhibits, a planetarium and one of those big 3D movie domes in addition to all the traditional museum-y stuff. Oh and they have a three-story indoor “tree” house. Pretty cool.

Even with all the changes one thing remains exactly the same. It’s an exhibit of metal wires looped and twisted and intermingled with a series of buckets and pulleys and trip lines. Inside this maze of metal run ten or twelve or twenty ball bearings looping, twisting. The paths of each are constantly changing as the metal tracks arrange and re-arrange themselves as if by magic. Eventually one lucky ball achieves the goal. Ding! A bell rings and the show begins again.

I remember watching mesmerized as a 5th grader. Will remembers it from high school when he and a bunch of other math geeks spent way too much time calculating the minutes between bell rings and predicting which ball would get the honor. So we shared a passing of the torch moment as Brother placing his hands on the glass gazed in wonderment at the display.

Did you play?

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In years past we have visited Rhema lights as part of our pre-Christmas tradition but this year it didn’t seem worth the two plus hours of driving it would take to get there so we opted instead for something a little closer to our new home.  It’s only a 12 mile drive to Woolaroc where we found plenty of lights, hot chocolate and cookies, a wagon to ride and even animals to pet.

Inside the lodge - Sister is wearing my jacket because even though she had enough foresight to bring hats and gloves for everyone to wear she forgot her own coat.  Her slip in memory left me wearing the winter blanket Will stuck in the trunk a couple weeks back “for emergencies.”

Brother was all over the dipping cookies in hot chocolate thing.

In the petting barn there were rabbits and ponies, chicks, a cow, this donkey and a llama.

Sister said, “Take a picture, Mom!”  so I did.

To commemorate the event, towns throughout the state are having parades and picnics and concerts and such all this year.  On November 16th, the children and I drove with Grandma to celebrate Statehood Day in Guthrie (our state’s original capital).  There was a huge parade and a picnic.  Many people were dressed in period clothing.  The town had even chosen to recreate the menu offered 100 years before:  a slice of bread, a piece of beef, a pickle, lemonade and coffee.

This was what it looked like walking along the parade route.  Besides all the people you can see ahead there were just as many behind and even more around the corner where the parade turned toward the park.  I overheard an official say they estimated over 4,000 people in attendance.

For the two horse-loving girls with us, the Clydesdales were a great favorite.  I suppose God knew that because He arranged for us to get a wonderful close-up look at them not once but twice.  First, since we didn’t have any clue where to park, we ended up walking through the parade staging area.  This picture was taken there.

Then later during the parade there was an especially long pause and what entry stopped right in front of us for several minutes?  Yep, the Clydesdales.

All in all we ended up walking about two miles that day.  Not so much for an adult but it almost did Brother in.  We were so fortunate to find a space on the trolley for the ride back to our car or that distance would have been doubled & my arms would have fallen off from carrying the exhausted Brother.

(This pic was taken mere moments before I stepped into a ginormous hole which I didn’t see because I was looking through a camera lens.  - Since this is not the first time something like this has happened, I’m thinking of changing the name of my blog to “The Graceful Photographer.” )

Finally, back at the car after a full day we decided to grab a snack before heading out of town.  This would have been an easy feat if we actually knew the town’s layout or even if the main thoroughfares (closed for the parade) had been opened.  After much wandering we found ourselves exactly back where we started at which point Sister helpfully noted, “Hey, hey grandma!  I think we’ve been on this street before!”

There was one bright point in our wanderings:  a sign which I’ve recreated below.

I mean no disrespect if you’re last name is Brown or Gross but knowing how a bride agonizes over all the details of her wedding I can just imagine the conversations surrounding this one.

Bride: Should it be Brown/Gross or Gross/Brown?’  Could we get away with just saying ‘B/G wedding? 

Groom:  Oh, the heck with it.  Let’s just elope.

Anyway, thanks Mr & Mrs. Brown-Gross.  You gave us a good chuckle when we needed it.  We hope you had a lovely day - neither gross nor brown.

In summary, a good time was had by all.

____________________________

In honor of our state I leave you with these fascinating facts.

Most people think of the stage play ” Oklahoma !” when they hear our state’s name mentioned, but there is so much more to Oklahoma than “beautiful mornings,” “fringe-laden surreys ” and “a girl who cain’t say no.”

Oklahoma is not only the home of Ado Annie and AuntEller from ” Oklahoma !” but of the parking meter(invented in OKC) and the shopping cart (invented in Ardmore ).

The electric guitar also was invented in Oklahoma, by a Beggs musician named Bob Dunn. The first “Yield”sign was installed in Tulsa .

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes Oklahoma as having the most diverse terrain of any state in the nation. The state, according to EPA, boasts 11distinct eco-regions.

The state has more man-made lakes than any other, which give us more than a million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined.

The Sooner State has produced more astronauts than any other state in the union. Owen Garriott is an Enidboy, while Tom Stafford is from Weatherford, Shannon Lucid is from Oklahoma City, WilliamPogue is from Okemah and the late Gordon Cooper was from Shawnee.

Oklahoma is home to the Amateur Softball Associationand Hall of Fame, a world class zoo in OKC and more F4 and F5 tornadoes than any other state.

Oklahoma is the third-largest natural gas-producing state in the nation and ranks fourth in the production of wheat, cattle and calves, fifth in the production of pecans, sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches.

The state’s colors are neither OU’s crimson and cream nor the orange and black of OSU but green and white.

Oklahomans practice 73 major religions. The largest is the Southern Baptist Convention, with nearly 1,600 churches and more than 960,000 members.

Oklahoma gave birth to Dick Tracy (cartoonist ChesterGould is a native of Pawnee) and Donald Duck (Clarence “Ducky” Nash, the original voice of Walt Disney’s Donald, grew up in Watonga).

The number of famous singers from Oklahoma is too long to list here but includes Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Reba McIntire, Woodie Guthrie and Roger Miller.

Oklahomans have survived the Dust Bowl, any number of killer tornadoes, the 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City ’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and various oil booms and busts. Oklahoma is populated by people who are caring, giving, hard-working, patriotic and fiercely independent. Oklahoma is a good place to live, work and play.

If that’s not enough check out these links.

• http://www.computerlabkids.com/oklahoma.htm
• http://www.shgresources.com/ok/facts/
• http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002026.shtml

We’d love to learn something about your state too!  Leave us a link in the comments.

Here’s Brother disguised as Captain Bluebeard.

Last night we went to Kiddie Park and as an end of season treat Will got snowcones for each of the children…. blue snowcones.  They weren’t in sturdy styrofoam cups either.  They were in environmentally friendly (read: extremely drippy) paper cones.  Even this morning Brother has remnants of the sticky stain on his chin and drip lines down his arm.  The price of a good time I guess.

Kiddie Park is one of the coolest young family spots in our small town.  Created by the City in 1947 and continually supported by the community, it boasts a number of pint-sized carnival rides including a train, bumper cars and a mini roller coaster.  The best part though is the price.  Admission is free and most of the rides are only 25 cents each.  Can’t beat that!  Though they don’t quite fit the theme here are some pics from a previous visit. (Click on the images for a larger view.)

This weekend Will’s little sis, K was in a play.  She is attending local performing arts classes and they finish each semester with a performance.  We hadn’t intended to go, as the going would involve a good bit of driving, but late Thursday night Sister turned her puppy dog eyes to Daddy and suddenly our plans changed.  It was decided that Will would take off early Friday so we could arrive in time but by then there were only Saturday night tickets available and our plans changed again.  Saturday found us traveling the turnpike west toward OKC (that’s Oklahoma City for you non-Okies).  This particular stretch of road is divided neatly into thirds by the quintessential American road stop… McDonald’s.  I would love to say McDonald’s is an establishment we avoid. Indeed before I had children I swore I would never take them there but … plans change. (It’s a running theme in my life.)  We had deftly avoided two of the golden arch stops and were almost past the third when Brother declares he needs his diaper changed.  A sudden odor in car confirms his statement and initiates a not so golden detour.

We exit at the last moment and park in a somewhat shady spot near a tree.  While I take care of Brother, Sister and Will go inside to get some drinks.  Interestingly, Brother does not need changed.  He’s not even wet.  I let him get out of the car and play in the shade while we wait.  Will and Sister return.  We are ready to get in the car when suddenly I feel sick to my stomach.  I go inside to use the restroom while the three of them sip on ice tea and take their turn at waiting.  When I get to the restroom I no longer feel sick - not even a little.  I puzzle over this as I wash my hands.  I am almost to the exit when I see Will and the children coming back inside.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting a refill.”

“You already drank that all of that?!”  (He got the largest size they had.)

“No.  I used it to put out the fire.”

“The fire?!”

“Yep and I think I deserve a free refill.”

A series of questions reveals that while my family was waiting for their not sick mother.  Sister spied a fire just beginning to grow in a bush near the building.  She alerted Will.

“Look dad, there’s a fire.”

Will scans the horizon looking for a grass fire.  “Where?” 

“There.”  Sister points.

“Oh, there!”

Using only his quick wits and beverage, Will calms the flames long enough for a volunteer fireman (who just happened to be out dining with his family) to come and finish the job.

We thought about it later.  In all the time we’ve ever lived in Oklahoma, in all the times (too many to count) we’ve ever traveled that road, we have never stopped at that particular place.  We wouldn’t have stopped that day except to change a boy that didn’t need changed and we wouldn’t have stuck around long enough for Sister to spot the flames except to wait for a mom who wasn’t sick.

“How can we understand the road we travel? It is the LORD who directs our steps.”

Proverbs 20:24 (New Living Translation)

The incident quickly became a memory when we arrived in OKC and were introduced to the grandparent’s new hot tub.  A quick bit of splashing and a simple steak dinner ( simple steak dinner - seems like an oxymoron doesn’t it?) were followed by one of the best junior productions of anything I’ve ever seen.  The children were enthralled and I found myself wishing my friend Leslie and her sweet daughter could have joined us for if anyone would appreciate Suessical it would be they.

After the curtain call and congratulations were over, Will and I packed up Brother in the car and headed back to Tulsa for the night.  Sister stayed for a slumber party and the promise of a visit to Sam Noble’s Museum of Natural HIstory. 

A good time was had by all.

After all day in the apartment, the kids and I were ready to get out so around 4:30 I prepped a picnic dinner of sandwiches, fruit, pigs n a blanket and a pumpkin pie I made earlier.  (I don’t know what possessed me to make pumpkin pie in the middle of August… just roll with me on this one, k?)  We picked up Will from work and headed out west of town to Osage Hills State Park.  It was a nice quiet drive (especially after both kids fell asleep.)  When we got there we saw deer up close (three times!),

had our picnic, walked a short trail and discovered this.

It just begged to be waded in.  We had a grand time and Will took what I think is my new favorite pic of the kiddos.

Do you have a state park near you?  Have you been there?  I bet there is more to see than you think.

The size of our apartment lends itself to daily bouts of cabin fever.  To combat this the children and I have begun going to a park each morning while it’s still cool and then for a family walk around downtown in the evening.  Sooner Park is our favorite of late.  It has all the standard playground equipment, a swimming pool (though we’ve yet to visit that), an abundance of squirrels and best of all a winding little stream passing right through the middle.  One day not so long ago we arrived to find the park swarming with a Vacation Bible School group.  As is her custom, Sister quickly made friends with the explorers of the bunch - a sub-group with nets and buckets and enough determination to catch several minnows, tadpoles and and a frog.  Sister played the delighted spectator on that trip but two days later insisted she needed to try net fishing.  For less than $12 we acquired the necessary equipment and headed to the park.

We didn’t catch anything that day or the next day either but we are getting closer and refining our techniques and most of all we are having fun and learning together.  I think sometimes about the group we met the first day (and another group we’ve met since).  Both stayed for a while but were forced to leave their explorations as soon as the teacher called.  We stay until we are tired or it gets too hot or we mutually agree we’d like to try again another day.  While I understand the necessity of organization and schedule with so many children and so few caretakers, I like our way better.  I hope that as they grow our children will agree.

This is the location of our new apartment.  We are keeping our old space in Grandma’s basement for the weekends but during the week will travel with Will to Bartlesville.  With gas prices the way they are it makes economic sense to keep a separate weekday place and given how many hours Will must commute and therefore be away from home it makes emotional sense too.  Over the next few weeks we will be adapting to life with four people in a 600+ sq ft space.  This should be fun - and make for some great blogging too. (assuming I have time for that)