Saturday, Saturday....

Sam feeds fish, turtles, and pigeons with a boy and his mom
Eva and Eli at the park
"So big!"
Eli (with bottle of water to the right)
Smiling Eva

Today was a pretty interesting day. It was day two of at least three for spraying. Tomorrow they're coming back. Luckily, thankfully, these are only outside spraying days. However, we bought a lot of plastic bags in case we have to cover everything again. We maybe should have invested in some tarps. Last night at part of the campus retreat we learned that they'd found mosquito larvae in grates behind the men's dormitory, so that's what they are doing tomorrow. Presumably there will be more blood tests this week, and if we get the chance to do them we will, since apparently about 80% of people are asymptomatic. I think it's fairly unlikely, but several weeks ago Eli's strange episode included a high fever (not dangerously high, just normal high) and then a rash, and these are the two main symptoms for the fever.

Today we went to one of the parks we love to go to while they sprayed the campus. Sam arrived as a mom and her son were feeding the fish and turtles, so he really enjoyed being a part of that. People are really kind to him. The boy had some sort of fish food and the mom had also brought diced bala to feed to the fish. It was fun. Sam also spent a lot of time chasing pigeons. The babies alternated napping and watching everything. It's a nice park because there's a covered walkway, bathrooms, and a really beautiful lake.

Sam also had gotten a new, small plastic moped. I don't know why, but toy companies are nearly incapable of producing a sturdy motorcycle. I think it's the challenge of wheels and handlebars. One or the other is sure to break, so we knew it was only a matter of time. The moped made it through the park but then the motorized piece (where you pull it back and it goes forward) broke this afternoon. Sam was nearly inconsolable for most of the afternoon, but in the evening we gave the moped a "time out" and by night time he was philosophical about it. We reviewed the different toys he's had that have broken ("the red motorcycle, the green motorcycle..."), the bowls or cups Emily and I have broken, the lights or doors that aren't quite right, and on and on. It could almost have been a sermon on the impermeability of the world in which we live. I think after a while he had the hang of it. He still has a very funny way of saying "broken." He says it like "broke-en-ying" and it's almost tonal. I always feel bad for Emily because she tends to go to bed around the time Sam is breaking down, but then he usually gets a second wind at night, when I'm up with him. Tonight he had fun watching some tv, playing with blocks, and then took a really long bath. I'm so curious what he'll be like in the years ahead. It's a fun age.

We're into the full onslaught of classes now, so I may be writing less. I always enjoys this space for thinking through all of the things going on around us.