unexpected lessons

it's been so long i had a hard time remembering my password!!!
been to new york and back. Kids milked cows, drove and rode tractors. Saw cousins.
heard again from Alex: loves India; hates Jaipur (too touristy??? !!!!)
My kids have gotten out the sewing machine (it's about 20 years old, but works great). They have been stitching on fabric; just shapes. Hosni made this long piece of white fabric and sewed it into a hat. He wrapped it around his head like a turban. Then he wanted to alter it to make it pointy.
He was discussing how this would happen with Josh. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner. I heard Josh say; well I don't think a pointy cap would be good. You know a long time ago people were bad (really bad) to other people. It's better now, but it still happens. They were mean to people because they were black. They picked on them. It's called racism. They wore pointy hats like you want to make. So, we don't believe in racism, so you can't change your hat to pointy. It looks cute like it is"
Hosni came into the kitchen and told me the conversation (which I heard anyway). And he said, so you know that's bad right. But I LIKE pointy hats, why can't I make one? Is that true? I said; yes it is true. They were called the Klu Klux Klan and no you can't make your hat into a pointy hat. It looked so cute when you wrapped it (around your bald little head) around your head.
But as he walked out of the kitchen I thought; amazing out of sewing some designs on white fabric and making a cap comes a lesson about the evils of racism.
and then I thought: Josh needs to be a teacher. I keep thinking about how good he is when he helps the little ones with their homework. maybe I can encourage it. Right now they think they are going to be fashion designers. (My sewing machine has NEVER gotten this much use)

We planted a lot in our garden and hopefully will get a community garden plot.

My kids school had a silent auction: we won a "fairy door" and a lot of organic seedlings (eggplants, peppers) etc. So I need more gardening space.

The summer is going to be a wet one in my back yard. Already the slip-in-slide has been out (two days), the hose attached to the slide (because simply running down the slip-n-slide is NOT fast enough), a whole bottle of dish soap used (to make you go faster on the slip-n-slide), and a lot of neighbor kids in swimsuits playing. The back yard was a huge puddle. I said no to the pool.

The back stairs are finished

Well Gabby is up for her nightly I need my mama and the kids are already begging for the airconditioning. hopefully no heart pain tonight.