training day

Today marks the first full week of school. With the older children unavailable to amuse my little flower, I have been trying to create experiences for Violet which incorporate education and civic responsibility. I know it is much too premature to think of snow- and I shudder to imagine days of ice and insulated parkas; but, I thought that we should begin her training  for conscientious citizenship during Buffalo winters now. Since we have two All Wheel Drive vehicles, we have never found ourselves stuck in the ruts of a blizzard. But, many of our neighbors are not as fortunate. Even the smallest citizen is useful in exerting the power needed to force cars out of snow banks. But, the power and will to overcome nature's obstacles does not come without prior training. This is why I loaded up her Cozy Coupe with bricks. The Coupe has two lazy wheels which perfectly replicate the experience of being at the mercy of a frazzled driver who has forgotten how to follow directions when you call out from the back bumper, "Turn the wheel right. No, your right." Violet was eager to learn. I told her that I would give her a Goldfish cracker for ever brick she managed to keep in the Coupe at the end of our session (the door does not stay latched and our driveway is terribly bumpy). I think she did okay.