Up in the Air

We’ll most likely be talking about horses ad infinitum. But the most recent new from Water Run Farm is the addition of a trampoline.

It was a special day when we arrived home from some outing and there were three large cardboard boxes on the grass in the barnyard. Nathaniel, in particular, was thrilled at the surprise gift. It seemed the least we could do as he is not especially centering his life around the horses. Max and Sophie knew the boxes were coming, and so they came by and helped put the thing together. (The safety net took another few days to get up.) Kids were bouncing later that afternoon.

Trampolines are about bouncing, as everyone knows. But there is also a curious way that the circular mat draws kids into conversation. And so it is not uncommon these days to see a little circle of boys or girls sitting on the mat talking or, as it happens, texting (hopefully not one another). Jenna, visiting from France, even fell asleep on the warm black mat one afternoon.

Nathaniel is the bouncing man around here. Creaking springs are now a familiar part of the day as he flies in back and font flips and twists and flip sequences. Sure, Ellinore and other kids join him; and their parents are jumping here and there, too: it is quite a workout! But Nan is master of air these August days.