Hello and Good day! It feels like ages since I’ve written. We made it a spurt down the way to Parker. Lake Havasu was starting to feel hard for me with all of the driving from BLM to town and back. The kick downs were also very dispersed and flowed out almost as easily as they came in.
On Tuesday, we were at the playground and I was letting the kids run a bit. I was talking to the one guy that had donated a bunch of dog food on our first day there, when I noticed a cop pull up. The guy said with his luck they’d go right for him. I just nodded at that. With my presence and my wily kids it was not likely about him. I was right. The police was talking to my kid. I had JUST given them their strider bikes. Supposedly the security of the park across the way had seen my boys play in front of the toilets by the dog park (clearly out of my oversight area) and hadn’t seen an adult so he had called the police. The officer took down my name and the kids, ran us through the system, warned me about the lake water and kids drowning and to keep a closer eye on them. *le sigh*
The next day was rainy and gray so I took the kids to the movies to see Frozen 2. The awesome Havasu theater only charged me an adult ticket and let the kids go in. Therefore, we had popcorn and soda. I bet that theater makes all their money on Soda. 3.75 for a small 4.50 for a Medium and $5 for a Large. INSANE! but popcorn really dries you out. I did bring water and other snacks along with us, but it’s really about the experience. We were the only ones in the theater so I let the kids roam the aisles and stairs until the commercials were over and the lights were out. It was a good movie. The boys both enjoyed it. Afterwards we sat at the Denny’s/ Safeway parking lot trying to make a couple dollars that never came.
On thursday, driving into town, a cop seemed to lead our way, predicting us turning in at the park. I got anxious and paranoid and pulled into a different parking spot than usual, in the top lot. We went to feed the ducks, visited with George and cleaned the toilet before heading to the library to return our books and movies. The boys seemed pretty down to continue traveling, but we stayed one more night and went to the Rotary Park on Friday instead.
First thing there, a police officer informed me that Rhea needed to be put up because this was a completely dog free space. I re-met a guy named Max I had seen a year ago in Quartzsite. The boys played very well at the park within my sight and then wished to go to the one across the street. I went with them, but they were soon distracted with the sandy beach right next to us. They ran around there for a bit while I strechted. After swinging we went to see the other miniature light house and stumbled across the skatepark. This prompted busting out Strider Bikes. Galixy almost got run over and I put made him sit out while Atreyu got to roll around and try to be a part of the teenage boys and their skateboard conversations.
After the park we started heading for the next town down. We tried to stop at Parker Dam but the signs up the road say “absolutely no trucks, rv’s or busses” so we found a nice turn out view to look real quick. Galixy was sleeping. As I pulled out I was thinking it would’ve been great to take a picture… Maybe some day we’ll have a cool Matilda at a dam picture.
The drive down is a windy sorta bumpy road and it seemed almost difficult for me to drive. Just as we were getting within sight of Walmart I heard Atreyu whimper. He cried out “too much driving, mom!” in the most woeful voice. We’d barely driven 45 minutes, maybe an hour. I swear, these kids are super hard to satisfy. Just as I think we’re figuring something out, they take me back to square one with them. Maybe we’re not communicating clearly enough? I mean I can’t be much clearer about how far we’re going to go or my plans than what I’m already imparting to them…. Well, we pulled into Walmart and maneuvered Galixy from his seat to his bed and then we read a Harry Potter chapter. After Galixy woke we did dinner and a movie. I curled up on the red pull out cushions and fell asleep pretty early. The kids finished their movie and fell asleep on top of me. I put them in their bunks in the middle of the night and went to sleep up top.
This morning, I was just getting ready to head across the road and hit the museum of the Colorado tribes people (free admission and rave reviews for their exhibits) when the MMIW march came past our bus, past Walmart. The boys saw, too. We headed after them as quickly as we could. I gotta say I’m shy and feel misplaced and like an imposition a lot, but this one lovely lady noticed me and spoke highly encouraging invitations. The march ended at the park of the town. There were bouncy houses set up for the kids and a food line and some stands selling wares, I dearly wished I had any money for. Apparently, this reservation has had 2 women murdered in recent past. One murderer was caught but the other is still around. There were some prayers and a drum and flute song, some native rappers with encouraging message from the Gila res had a couple of numbers they performed, some family members of the victims said some words, and two beautiful peagant contestants spoke out, too. I feel very honored to have had a chance to sit by. To have my boys decceive me. I told them I was shy and nervous and they said they’d hold my hand, but they ran off to play and left me on my own to look lost and worried about their whereabouts.
Now it’s rained a little and the boys are playing in the bus. We’ve made a little bit of money, but I still feel like a poor church mouse. Can’t afford anything and better save our money for fuel…. and a bath at the Tonopah Hot Springs on our way from Quartzsite to Phoenix. I doubt they’d give us a discount just because we can’t afford it. Tomorrow is Sunday and it makes me wish we had stuck around to go to the church up in Lake Havasu, but I am very grateful to have come and maybe showed a semblance of support to something that actually matters. I feel like my boys did a better job than I since they easily integrated themselves and made friends, picking flowers and swinging. I would like to feel more confident about my whole existence.
At any rate, I would like to have a mellow evening tonight, maybe dose the kids with a movie while I cook up something yummy and then reading time…? We shall see.
My current mission is to make my homepage friendlier. I think that the majority of people looking up my sight don’t actually look for my blog. They would like to just see the inside or still their curiosity about the art itself, not so much the family. So I want to get the inside clean and then make a video tour that kind of includes a little story about the family inside. It’s just hard to get it all clean at once and then make a video with the kids not going too wild…? lol It would be nice to put that up, though, not be a disappointment to the majority of the seekers and actually get them wanting to see more from me, instead of just a quick peak and never again…
I sincerely hope that your week is coming to a peaceful close. That you are healthy and well up. That you feel grateful and loved.
Loving you!
Matilda the Bugus 