Down here all the fish is happy
We forgot to read a book today! Rilla was busy drawing all through the early part of the morning, and then we worked in the garage for a while, digging out the Christmas things and filling some boxes for a garage sale our circle of friends is having this weekend—a fundraiser for a family who is adopting the dearest little newborn girl.
The big laugh of the morning came when we found, shoved behind other boxes, an unopened box from our move here six years ago—all taped up, marked in my friend Lisa’s handwriting “Ugly Bat Thing.” A skeletal metal bat someone gave Scott as a gift to celebrate his days editing, and then writing, Batman comics. Then proceeded a spirited debate over whether it is, in fact, ugly. (The six-year-old votes no, emphatically.)
Earlier, and I shared this on Facebook at the time but I have to archive the moment here, I was sitting in my rocking chair when Rilla came sprinting into the room to ask what color hair I would like if I didn’t have brown. Easy one: red. She darted away. Back again a moment later with this question: “If you were a mermaid, would you want to wear a shirt? Or be like a real mermaid. You know, bare.”
I asked if a seashell bikini were an option, but nope. Six-year-olds can be very strict. You want to be a real mermaid, you gotta go for broke. I, however, made the mom choice and requested a t-shirt.
She roadrunnered away. Back again a bit later: “What’s your favorite underwater animal?” Easy one. I didn’t read Ring of Endless Light eighteen times for nothing.
“Dolphin.”
Off again, zip-tang. A little later, I got to see (at last) what she was up to.
This portrait, I learned, was part of a set: here are the four girls. Rose hates swimming, so Rilla made her an elf.
The jellyfish kill me.
I’m hoping tomorrow brings a set of mermen portraits to complete the family collection.
Ellie says:
I love these š
If I didn’t have red hair … Well, Calli says if I didn’t have red hair I wouldn’t exist (!) because it suits me so well … But when I was growing up I wanted it to be thick, waist-length black curls. And I wanted my (green) eyes to be blue.
On December 6, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Harmony says:
These are wonderful. I love, love, love them, and the method by which they were personalized.
On December 6, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Sarah says:
“Rose hates swimming, so Rilla made her an elf.” This statement made my morning. Your Rilla is funny.
On December 7, 2012 at 4:25 am
Mama Squirrel says:
I like the jellyfish, but I LOVE the dolphins. Makes me wish for some of your California sunshine, up here in darkest-December-land.
On December 7, 2012 at 4:27 am
tanita says:
Ahhhhh, A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT. Someday I’m going to have a L’Engle re-read…
I love that your hair even wafts properly in the water.
And I love how you get wish-fulfillment hair along with your non-bare mermaid body.
On December 7, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
She asked if I wanted long hair or short hair, and I said, “ooh, long hair all floaty in the water.” She surpassed my wildest mermaid dreams. š
On December 7, 2012 at 3:24 pm
mamacrow says:
i like the octupi!
I wanted long red curly hair and green eyes. I’d now like rainbow coloured hair but am too afraid of the bleaching involved!
Actually, if you look REALLY close at my eyes, they do have some green in them, but as there’s also brown from the usual distance they’re basically mud coloured *sigh*
On December 9, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Michelle says:
I notice that none of your daughters chose the bare chested look for their mermaids š
On December 15, 2012 at 11:15 pm