Surprising Sound

So today I was on the roof winterizing the house. While I was draining the water from the swamp-cooler I heard a familiar, yet confusing sound coming from behind me. Familiar because it was something I hear pretty constantly any time I’m home… or out shopping… or anywhere except at work.Confusing because it was a sound I very specifically do not expect to hear when I’m on the roof.

“Daddy?” was the sound.

I had left Cordelia in the house with specific instructions to finish her sandwich and then come outside. She’s generally a very obedient child, and I had no concerns. In the mean-time Tammy had her lunch break and had come upstairs to feed herself, and they had both come out giving Tammy a chance to explain to Cor what exactly it was that daddy was doing on the roof.

At this point, however, they had both gone back inside. Or so I thought.

When I turned around to see why it was that Cordelia’s voice had carried so clearly from the ground I saw just exactly what you are all thinking: Cordelia was up the ladder. She was, fortunately, not on the roof, but her head was well above it.

At this point I panicked, briefly, in my head. Sharply I said, “Cordelia!” And then, not wanting to frighten her and possibly cause her to fall, I took a breath and said far more calmly than I felt, “You aren’t supposed to be up here.”

I walked toward the ladder, hoping to be able to see some way to help her get back down safely, but found myself at a loss. Hoping that Tammy was still on her lunch break and within earshot, I started calling for her. Loud, but – again – calmly.

The rest of the story is pretty boring. Tammy came out, scolded the child much the same way I had, climbed up the ladder a few steps and helped Cordy make her way back down. Children, these days.

Might be my own fault. Here’s a picture I took last summer (actually April '08). This was done with my encouragement.

If you look carefully you can see the shadow of a

not-to-excited-about-this-stunt mommy ready

to jump to the rescue, if daddy's daredevil

decides to fall.

Desert Gardening

On Saturday we went to a water conservation fair... thing.  Basically, we went in order to see lots of various possibilities for Xero-scaping our yard in order to keep our water-usage to a minimum.

It was interesting, but that isn't what this blog is about.  It's about Cordelia having fun.

I really don't think I realize just how much bigger I am than her until I see us together in a photo or a video.  I'm really quite frightening.  She had been watching other kids climbing the wall and she wanted in on the fun.  I wasn't sure she was big enough, but then I noticed a great big banner that said "Free for all ages."  So we went for it.

Waiting her turn was not something she did patiently, at first.  I wish I had gotten some video of her as we waited for the hosts to retrieve the special tiny harness she needed... she kept looking at me in frustration, I could almost hear her thinking "C'mon dad, I don't need that!"

Once she had it on, it took some convincing that she had to wait her turn (fortunately there were only a couple of kids ahead of her, and there were 3 cables).  She, oh-so-patiently, folded her arms and set her hips and her scowl to wait.  It was cute.