Finally fishing

Robert has been waiting for this day for a long time, and I wouldn't have pictured it would come in the dead of winter.

Ever since we got here for Robert and Elizabeth to visit Nonna and Da in August 2007, he has wanted to go fishing. And today, actually, was the easiest way to get it done.

The annual kite festival was held on Lake Harriet this afternoon, with just enough wind to provide for a spectacular show but not so much that we froze our faces off. We took a horse-drawn cart ride up the west side of the lake, had some hot cider and Robert took part in a scavenger hunt.

There was also ice fishing, but I don't have the patience for it. Robert and I made it a little further into the day than Elizabeth and Colleen did, but we didn't fish for ice. And that really bummed Robert out. He trudged all the way home, about five blocks, upset and not really interested in my suggestion that we would go fishing when it was warmer.

But Da came to the rescue. He was willing to take Robert back down and do the whole ice fishing thing.

And since Robert had waited about a year and a half for this moment, he made the most of it.

They had about 25 holes drilled in the ice, and kids had been fishing those holes all day long, with poles and bait provided by the Minnesota DNR. So the odds were pretty long that he was going to come up with anything. But he sat, and waited, patiently, watching the bobber, for about 45 minutes.

No luck. But he wasn't discouraged. He came home and told us all what a great time it was.

And an hour later, his cheeks were no longer red.

Close your eyes

Robert and Colleen were cracking Easter eggs after lunch. Not eating; just cracking, peeling, then smushing. Well, I thought I'd save a few for Elizabeth, who actually eats hard boiled eggs, so I put them back in the refrigerator.

Colleen really wants to play with them again. She opened the refrigerator and I said "No more eggs, Colleen." She closed the door but said, with her hand still on the handle, "Um, okay. Close your eyes, Mom."

This reminded me of Robert at that age. He'd come into the kitchen and say "Mom, don't go into the bathroom/bedroom/living room, etc." At least they give warnings! Elizabeth used to booby trap the whole house, including the stairs, with no warning. They're cute but they're sneaky.

As a side note: Every time we pass a lake (which is more often than you'd think even if we're not in Minnesota) Robert reminds me that he wants to go fishing. At summer camp I used to dangle bread on a hook but never caught anything. Anyone with more experience willing to take on my kid with a bucket of worms?