The following conversation actually took place this afternoon at my house:  I asked, "Where's Carmen?"  Oldest son answered, "I don't know."  I said, "Is she playing with her squid?"  Second son replied, "Yes, she's playing with her squid in the living room."  After a moment's reflection on what we all had just said, I started wondering if my kids were just a bit too weird.  I guess I should explain.  We went to a newly remodeled marine supply store in town (remember, we live where the river meets the ocean with a bang - meaning that fishing is BIG in this area.)  My kids were fascinated by the fishing lures, especially the rubber squids.  They had squid so big I couldn't imagine a fish big enough to bite it.  Gave me the creeps.  The only bait I've used when fishing here in the Northwest is marshmallows or cheese.  Oh, I think I used chopped anchovies ages ago, once or twice.  That is, I only fished once or twice years ago, off a pier with my boyfriend in California ... but I digress.  After examining all the glittery squids and fake worms of various colors and sizes, we explored the rest of the store.  We've been talking about getting a weather station with wind speed and found one we liked.  I'm always curious just how big those gusts of wind are that make our windows bend.  So as we were getting ready to make our purchase, my husband sent our kids back to the fishing lures.  I asked what he was letting them buy and he answered, "Squid."  A package of three, about the length of my hand, blue-speckled and bug-eyed.  Ick!  My kids were thrilled!  No comment.  They spent a good part of the day making up stories about their squids.  Tonight, my 5 y.o. daughter told me that her squid needed glasses.  Whatever!  Remember, these are the same children who spent an afternoon making Star Trek characters out of wooden spoons.  Should I be worried?  Am I doing something wrong here?  No, really, I think kids will play with just about anything and my kids happen to be drawn to the unusual but harmless, thank the Lord!  I just never imagined I would have a Squid Day.

My 8 y.o. son loves the Star Trek spaceship Enterprise and is always thinking of ways he can build his own.  He's used (among other things) Legos, then paper-mache, and today, he wanted to use Sculpty clay.  The problem with my son, and I'm sure lots of you deal with this, is that he's a perfectionist.  He is too young to produce things in the exact way that he pictures them.  Then he gets mad and wants to give up.  Some day, it will be a good thing that he's so concerned with detail but right now, it just frustrates him.  I have learned, finally, how to best encourage him.  His clay Enterprise came out rather wonky, but overall looks pretty good to me.  I am not a perfectionist and I'm so thankful!  He wanted to throw it away but I told him that this was his first attempt, and it would be a shame to toss it after all the hard work he put into it.  A trial run.  He could make another one if he wanted to.  I also said he could assume this Enterprise had gone through a worm hole or something and was damaged.  He was very happy with that idea and now is proud of it.  I told him I was proud of him for completing the project.  So, all's well in his little mind.  He, of course, has morphed a story about Enterprise and squids in space.  As homeschoolers, we have the time with our kids to learn how to best meet their emotional and psychological needs but for me, it still takes many mistakes before I figure out just what they need to hear.  And I guess that's just part of parenting.  And so are, I suppose, Squid Days.