An Evening at the Cardins'

Simeon lounges on the couch in his tank top and blue, yellow, and white striped underwear. He keeps hopping upright drop a plastic recorder into a hole of a broken CD player. Eris sits nearby typing an e-mail on the iPad. She tells Simeon that he needs to be more careful with the iPad so near. I tell Eris she can move to the table which has been cleared and wiped from supper. Now that Eris is out of the way, Simeon and Hollis jump from the back of the couch onto the seat. A black haired doll, a stuffed pig, a scattering of board books, a rattle, a large stuffed ball, and an orange and yellow folding stool provide obstacles for them to avoid as they bounce onto the woven bamboo floor mat. A blue plastic laundry basket with clean, dry but unfolded diapers reminds me of work unfinished. On a white plastic sign screwed to the wall, a colorful map of the United States, a man wearing the armor of God, a list of the first four U.S. presidents and their wives demonstrate a few of our recent school studies. 

Calla started out on the bamboo mat but has rolled and tummy scooted to the wall under the windows. At 5:52, music commemorating the former King of Thailand blares from speakers 20 feet away from our window. Calla startles at first, then quickly resumes pushing up onto her toes and elbow, practicing rocking to and fro. No one else seems to even notice the music.

Meriel works in the playroom on a surprise projects. She pops out every so often, asking, "Mommy, may I use a button?" or "Where is the glue stick?" Hollis wants to know why she can't go into the playroom. Meriel reasons that Hollis is not allowed to see what she is working on. "Besides, I have all my stuff laid out in here." Meriel's wide smile and bright eyes show the joy she is taking working on a project on her own.

Eris asks about "Balthazar's blazing hot sauce" which she thinks someone from our church ate while visiting the United States. He had asked, "Is this sauce mild?" She enjoys entertaining her e-mail friends by describing tidbit of Thai life that amaze them.

Hollis notes that Calla is "traveling" toward the speakers Simeon has been taking apart. Simeon runs over to me worriedly asking if he can move Calla. I tell him to move the speakers. Hollis and Simeon do that, then go back to their couch acrobatics. Simeon runs the obstacle course of stool, books and stuffed animals to the kitchen shouting, "If anyone gets hurt, drink some water!"

I type on the laptop at the dining room table trying to preserve a typical evening. I read a quote recently about how time proceeds with little children in the home, "The days are long but the years are short." Simeon scampers over to me, "Excuse me, Mommy, can you watch a jump?!" Well, I've got some laundry to fold, some children to attend....