Neighborhood Snapshot

The weather has been beautiful here with temps in the low sixties for the last week.  Because of that I've been trying to get outside with Sonora.  We went out for tea with a neighbor friend yesterday and today we were going to go to the park but didn't make it that far.  Sonora decided to take her scooter outside but since it was in the trunk of the car we took Malachi's instead.  She scooted around awhile, just her and I.  Our front street was empty but when we turned the corner we saw some kids further on sitting on the sidewalk and since we recognized one of the boys we went over to see what they were up to.

They had an old small rug spread out and were sitting on it, shoes off, as if it were their house and they had checked their shoes at the door.  On the rug one boy was roughly cutting leaves with a stick and handing them to a little girl who put them in their plastic box.  They said to Sonora in Turkish, "we're making food, do you want to too?"  She replied, "I know.  I don't want to."  But she stood there and watched and after awhile joined in to find things to add to the soup.  The first couple things she found were rejected by the little girl with a sharp upward snap of her eyebrows (which means no) until finally she found some little seeds pulled off a weed that were accepted.  They added, stirred, fought over who would stir, with the little girl holding her territory as the head chef.  Then someone thought of water and they trudged to the back of someones yard and came back with their plastic box now full of leaves and water.  They stirred some more, careful not to get water on the rug and always checking their shoes on the outside of the rug.  It was fun until someone dumped it and then it was over.  The plastic box was kicked by one boy, then another, until it was demolished and the little girl was in tears on the curb.  Sonora wanted me to go and comfort her but by that time she was on her way home.  All this time, I should mention, the kids were taking turns riding Malachi's scooter and Sonora was a good sport in giving it up for them.

Also at this time, I noticed another group of young ones ages three to five had set up their rugs and were sitting there, shoes off, playing with an assortment of toys.  One boy had a marker and was drawing some interesting designs on the forehead of someones baby doll.  We congregated there for awhile negotiating who would ride the scooter next.  It was finally resolved.  I say "we" because my daughter was also involved and she still asks me how to say things.  I become a negotiator as well.  Everyone dispersed for a moment as a boy called out that he had found something.  It was a dead, very dead, bird.  When I got there they were gathered around poking at it until I broke it up by saying that birds are really dirty and carry disease.  I think it is what their mothers would also say if they had been there.  That settled it and they moved on as did we back to our house.  And that is a snapshot afternoon around here.

I must say I really love the way the kids play in this neighborhood.  They are always outside, always finding something to do whether it is playing soccer or setting out their rugs and playing house.  Their games are creative and overall wholesome.  However, the thing I do not prefer, or maybe am just not used to, is the lack of supervision.  So when our kids go out, we go out with them.  It is good for us to be out too and get to know the kids and for them to get to know us.  It's fun to see them make friends and learn how to speak the language and just work out problems with kids.  Usually it works out :)!