Saturday, January 20 2007: Drew has a swim meet. She adds ten seconds to her 500. she is eighth in the 100. She feels very discouraged. The fact that she just got her cast off and just ended that period of enforced inactivity doesn’t console her. Why should it? She’s not one to make excuses, when it really counts. I admire how she doesn’t whine or pout or lash out. She’s just upset.
The bunk bed goes down, and the double bed comes up. The room is transformed. The boys, and their little sister, scurry around madly, and joyfully. Spence primarily, with the aid of his cohorts, gives me some information and starts me writing about his mimkins. This is as hard as my official writing! More important, though, and more fun. I’m gratified, as I read them a page, to see smiles comes slowly to their faces, to see them looking at each other with knowing, pleased expressions. We read the Moomins, too, and find that we’re in tune, a bit, with the illustrious Miss Jansson.