Hawk has been carefully and mindfully observing the same construction site since the buildings were demolished. In fact, just before they were torn down, he and I had hot chocolate in the café that was reduced to rubble shortly thereafter. He remembers this, and occasionally asks where the cafe went, just so I will tell him the demolition story again.
When the site was levelled, he and I sat on the sidewalk and watched an excavator bang away at the last bits of the wall that attached the building to the tire shop next door.
Now they’ve dug three levels below ground, and are heading for the fourth.
The crew has gotten to know Hawk, and delights in his weekly visits. Hawk does his rounds, first watching from the street, and then from the alley, and then onto the sidestreet where some of the most exciting stuff happens.
This week, for example, the big excavator was building a dirt ramp from the bottom all the way up to the edge so that it could drive itself out, because there’s no more room for its wide belly and enormous boom in the pit anymore.
I’m glad that he’s been able to watch the progression of this build, and that he’s at the age where he gets really engrossed in what’s going on. I’m also glad that we can make the time for him to fully appreciate and pursue his interest. His specific interest.
This goes back to what I was talking about last week about doing less so that there is less to be undone when circumstances require a slowing down, a simplifying.
We do less, so that we can do more:
More make-believe with boxes and blankets.
More whole-food meals, made and enjoyed together.
More unhurried walks to nowhere in particular.
More time to just sit, and talk with our kids and each other.
More time in our kitchen atelier, building, crafting, creating, and learning.
More slow Monday mornings watching the same construction site progress over time, building relationships and insight and elaborating on his passions.
More time to get places, get things done, or dig deeper. Figuratively, or — in the case of Hawk and his passion for this particular construction site on Broadway and Trutch — literally.
And speaking of more time to do what is important to us, we’re leaving for Mexico tomorrow and won’t be back until March. Look forward to some sunny blog posts soon!
For more inspiration on traveling with little kids, go check out my posts about just that. We travel as often as we can, and we’ve learned a few things on the way. We’re happy to share our insider secrets! Now, I’m off to pack a few small tools for Hawk. He doesn’t like to go anywhere without a wrench, at least. He wants bolt-cutters for his birthday. Not sure what we’re going to do about that.