Hookey

Because we were volunteering up at the food pantry until 2:00 today anyway, and because we would be driving right past Stone Mountain, I decided that we might as well make today an official holiday and take the whole day off. Or maybe I should call it a field trip? Either way, no academic work was done (though we will practice The Tiger before bed).

The food pantry was a little slow early on but then got really busy. Travis helped load food into cars, Katie filled carts, and I bagged meat. The kids were so voluble in their enjoyment and energetic that I think the regular volunteers were probably relieved that each church in the coalition only supplies volunteers for one month of the year, so it will likely be a while before they enjoy our enthusiastic assistance again. And likewise, the thrill of packing up food for strangers would probably wear off for us too, if it were a regular thing. Plus the fact that it is a 40 minute drive each way. Anyway, instead of going home afterwards we went to play at Stone Mountain.

(There was hardly anyone else at the waterfall, but the couple behind Katie stood out for me because they were clearly a new couple. The young woman was very giggly and clingy. She had an enormous and very ornate tattoo, "Wayne," across her back. I couldn't help wondering if the fellow's name was Wayne, and, if so, if the relationship didn't work out, whether she would only date men named Wayne in the future. It would seem to me that a tattoo like that would narrow one's options considerably.)Katie had a wonderful time collecting water snails and then resettling them in areas with better rocks. She wanted to bring her favorite, Edward, home, but I convinced her that he was happier with his friends and family.