We had Chinese food yesterday because we had a hankering for some Lo Mein and spring rolls. Rule #1, when you enter a Chinese restaurant, if the person taking your order is not Chinese, leave. We didn’t follow the rules, therefore Ali spent the night throwing up spring rolls from as far back as La Paz. Mexican Slimfast.
We have a saying around Bumfuzzle, tongue-in-cheek, “Do I look happy?” It’s usually accompanied by a really over-the-top frown and the kids doing something especially dangerous regarding climbing lifelines. The kids always laugh and say, “Yep.”
Today, since I took the kids out alone, I was able to put them in moderately dangerous photographic poses while asking, “Do you think Mama would be happy?”
I’m continually amazed by the fact that we can just wander freely through this old smelting plant. I’m certain that if my neighborhood friends and I had had a place like this when we were kids that at least two of us would be missing an arm or leg right now—as opposed to just one of us. Which I suppose doesn’t say much for my parenting—bringing my kids back here time and again to play. “Go on, explore,” I implore them. Usually they just come running back with chewed gum and a empty Coke bottle. “Treasures,” in kid lingo.
It’s been great watching them lately. FINALLY, they are beginning to play together. At least daily now Ouest will take Lowe by the hand saying, “Come on Lowe, come with me.” And oh my god does he go with her. He’d follow her right off a bridge, no doubt in my mind. She can’t do anything at all these days without him hot on her tail. Which is awesome right up until the point where the thing she does is something that can only be done by one person—like playing with a toy that we’ve only got one of. Actually I shouldn’t even say toy, as it is usually something more like a main halyard or winch handle. Anyway, that’s when things turn ugly. But I choose to ignore those moments and focus on the adorableness of a child enamored of his older sibling.
Using a 15-ton crane as a swing is not unsafe at all. Ouest and Lowe combined don’t even weigh one ton.
9 Comments on “Playing in the Smelting Plant”
Some of your best photos ever!
Thanks. I thought it was a pretty cool setting.
Happy Father’s day! You’re doing it right.
Happy Father’s Day, Pat. You’re doing a great job in spite of yourself. Your kids are going to have so many cool memories of their childhood. So many more than if you were an uptight dad.
Which Chinese restaurant did you go to? Hopefully not the one at the south end of the malecon on the water side of the road. We ate there twice with no ill effects. And our server was definitely Asian. Hope Ali is feeling better. Food poisoning is the worst! Right up there with a hangover except w/o the guilt factor.
No, this place was on the other side of the road. Named something creative like “Chinese Food” I think.
Pat – do you know what type of smelting plant that was? I am hoping it was not lead 🙁
be safe and have fun!!!!
Copper. But I have to imagine there is lead all over this town. Don’t eat the paint chips kids.
You sure it wasn’t a uranium processing plant? 😉
Dangerous? Pffffft! There are such fabulous photos! My brother and I were talking about all of the dangerous things we did as kids and wondered what our parents were thinking (or did they know?) like playing alone on Lake Michigan when it was frozen. We’d hold our jackets open like sails and let the wind push us on the ice until we hit a thin spot and fall in. Then we’d all laugh, pull out whoever fell in, find thicker ice and keep going. Oy. But we’re still here right?