Aiden has an obsession this year with a certain book at school. It’s called Crystals and Gems. Every week, I send the book back to school the day his class goes to the library and every week, he checks it out again. It’s a really cool book so of course I don’t mind.

Aiden and Brady walk home every day through the back yard. They have both been snapping off icicles from trees and bushes along the way. Aiden was out there for about 30 minutes one afternoon with his backpack still on, searching and collecting. They bring all of their treasures into the house and store them in the freezer. Aiden gives them names that sound a lot like the scientific names of rocks and crystals.

Here are the names of the icicles they have collected (according to Aiden):

Creemis, Sharp Creemis, Branchis (this one had a branch frozen inside), Ivis, Sharp Igus (which is “mature Ivis”) and Bubble Branchis which had lots of round parts on it.

Brady and Aiden after one of their successful “hunting” trips. I believe they were collecting flat ice crystals that day. Aiden gave them names as well, but I didn’t write them down.

Just a few of the many, many icicles that live in the freezer