Mining the Creative Depths

I was so looking forward to our lazy spring break. I envisioned field trips to the Science Museum, Children's Museum, the maple tapping at Tamarack, the Art Institute. Having Maya home with us is a treat. Having no 11:30 deadline for kindergarten pick-up is a liberation.

But here we are, day 3 of spring break, and that list looks impossible.

Why? Because I'd be a fool to bring two little girls anywhere when I can't talk. AT ALL. The merest whisper escapes no matter how emphatically I try to speak. This has been going on since Sunday morning!

So how do we have fun inside on spring break when we've been stuck inside together for five months already?

We have actually managed to find a few things that are entertaining, don't require a lot of instruction, and haven't been overdone (at least in the last month).

We made marshmallow sculptures.

We staged puppet shows... I, of course, was relegated to audience member.

We discovered the wonders of bathtub crayons, keeping the girls entertained and steaming my laryngitis.

We painted.

We danced.

Maya read and read and read. To me, to Elliot, and to herself. She's mastering the reader level three, and she really, really wants to move on to chapter books, though they take a long time for her right now. 

And we did manage to go to the park yesterday. I brought one of their harmonicas (couldn't find the emergency whistle), so I could alert them when to stop.

I'm not accustomed to mandated personal silence.... but we're making the best of it. Let's see if the three thousand salt-water gargles, teaspoons of honey, and gallons of water and tea will make a difference today!

Until then, we're going to plant our garden inside... it's a rite of spring!