February 2, 2012

Spinwheels


'What day is it today?'  Those were the words that woke me from my slumber this morning.  I opened one eye to find a small boy standing by my side of the bed, Sophie tucked under his arm, an inquisitive expression on his face.  Fortunately, it was more light than dark outside.  Yes, it was an OK time to be up and at 'em.  


Then he remembered.  'It's Maxine day!', he yelled, punching his little fists into the air.  'Yea!!'


Indeed it is.  Maxine Day.


We arrived just after the scheduled time of 9:30, the thick fog causing me to drive more slowly than I would have liked.  Channing was prepared.  He had a pack of Valentine Peeps in one hand, a bouquet of purple tulips in the other and his imagination in his pocket.  Yes.  You read correctly.  He had his imagination in his pocket.  I asked if he was all ready to see Maxine as we dashed in and out of Target for the aforementioned treats.  His reply was, 'I have my imagination with me.  I put it in my pocket.'  Perfect.  That's just the right thing to bring with to Maxine's house.




She has that magic cupboard full of all sorts of trinkets and treasures.  Channing wasted no time, making a bee-line from the door to the source of all kinds of delight.  He first pulled out a monster and a dragonfly wind-up toy.  After a quick flip and dash on the kitchen floor, they were exchanged for a clock and a gaggle of glass ladybugs. 





The toy that won out?  A tiny plastic bowling set.  We bowled no less than three dozen frames atop Maxine's coffee table before craft time called our names.  





Great concentration turned into pure joy as paper squares and plastic sticks were transformed into 'spinwheels'.  No, not pinwheels.  I tried correcting Channing on the drive home.  He corrected me right back. 






You see, in order to get them to whirl, you must spin in a crazy-fast circle until you fall down, dizzy.  Not just dizzy.  So dizzy it takes three tries to stand back up again.  




Spinwheels they are and such a lovely reminder of our morning with Auntie Maxine.  

1 comment:

Melissa said...

Love me a Maxine day! I remember that cabinet very fondly...I spent an afternoon or two digging up treasures when I was a kid. Too bad she dorsn't have the swans anymore. I would love to see Channing's face when he saw them :) If he is anything like I was, he would be both fascinated and terrified. And the spin wheels are darling! Feel like spring...