a visit to Alison's

Friday night we went to Edina to visit Alison, our next door neighbor when we lived in Minneapolis. She had made the sweetest sign on her door to welcome us. Ivar said, "I,V,A,R! That's Ivar!" And then Alison explained what an exclamation mark means. "A line and a dot means I'm excited you're here!"

Alison moved shortly after we did, and sold her house this summer. We helped a bit and she showered us with gifts for stopping by. She gave Ivar his big boy bed, gave me a picnic table and all sorts of awesome wrapping paper and she gave Rory a huge plant and light set up so he can start his garden in March, down in the basement.

When we were there Ivar sang his latest favorite song for her, This Little Light of Mine. When it's time to hide it under a bush, Ivar covers my finger and I try to get it away. A silly little game. Then when we sing, "don't let Satan hoo it out" I try to blow on his little light. The forth verse we sang, "All around Alison's apartment." Usually we switch that one depending on where we are, (all around the neighborhood, all around the whole wide world, all around our little house...)

But since visiting Alison's, that's all we ever sing. "No, Mama! Sing Alison's Apartment! All around Alison's Apartment!"