"Hang Spring Cleaning!"

"The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home...Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing. It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said "Bother!" and "O blow!" and also "Hang spring-cleaning!" and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat. Something up above was calling him imperiously....So he scraped and scratched and scrabbled and scrooged, and then he scrooged again and scrabbled and scratched and scraped, working busily with his little paws and muttering to himself, "Up we go! Up we go!" till at last, pop! his snout came out into the sunlight, and he found himself rolling in the warm grass of a great meadow."

~The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame~

Sweet Sophie turns Seven!

Here's to Sophie, my very favorite seven-year-old. She's a burst of sunshine in our lives! Here's the big sister teaching Sarah her "Nintergarten" lessons (Nintergarten is the class she's teaching Sarah before Kindergarten. :)
And here's the beautiful gal enjoying the outdoors on our hike yesterday. She asked me if we could move closer to these woods so she could ride her bike here and play all the time in the trees and brush that make such great hideouts. :) She's really in her element in nature...I love to see that!

Peter and the Pixies

Again, yes we do believe...notice in the first picture, Peter is employing pixie-dust to hover above the little fairies. I found the Peter Pan costume at the Salvation Army (the girls called it the "Celebration Army" for the longest time :) They've gotten well over two dollars worth of play out of it!

Thankful Thursday: Infectious Smiles

I'm thankful for infectious smiles and the people behind them who inspire me to spread smiles too. It is true that smiles are contagious and they are good for you too!
Since I walk my children back and forth to school everyday, I am met with a large variety of faces on the playground and in the school every morning and afternoon. There are a few teachers and children in particular whose smiles are a dose of sunshine even on overcast mornings and I am always glad to smile back.
I have found myself growing in this practice too. Funny how people in this country are so disarmed by eye contact and a warm smile. Many don't expect that kind of reception from family, much less a stranger any more. We busy ourselves walking through crowds of people, and yet we are in our own little worlds.
My intent to smile is not only an offering of warmth to those around me, but also a reminder to myself that none of us are alone. It is a gift that says, "I see you." It is a chance to remember the connection between us all and to allow a genuine love and sensitivity to our fellow travelers to grow. For me, extending a genuine smile is a practice in becoming and drawing others, if just for a moment, into that experience.
Thank you to all you contagious smilers out there!
First posted January 4, 2007 on A Path to My Woods

For the Beauty of the Earth

That's so weird...or The Squirrel Story

I pondered posting this story last week under the title of, Thankful Thursday: Rakes Left Out in a Handy Place. But I decided this one was just too weird to post on TT. In fact, I decided I needed a little time to recoup from this one before writing about it, because I have to admit, it is one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced....and I still feel a little skittish about squirrels.

It happened last Thursday night that our whole family was walking home from a school program that my older two children participated in. (It was really cute by the way...Sophie danced so sweetly and Sam rocked out to the beat standing up on the risers...he was hilarious. I can't wait to get him on the drums :) Anyway, Sam, Sophie, Sarah and myself were walking down the sidewalk, nearly home. Luke (who had the keys in his pocket) and Ruby were lagging behind a couple houses back.

We came upon a neighbor walking his dog...a large dog. As we went to pass, a squirrel came out of nowhere right up to the dog. Normally you would think a dog would start barking and going after the little critter, but that did not happen. The dog backed off, nervously. At first we all kind of laughed, commenting on how we had never seen such a bold squirrel. Then the neighbor, getting nervous about this confrontation between dog and tree-rodent, took off for home. This is when the craziness started. Luke told me later that our neighbor had passed him and said something like, "I've never seen a dog so afraid of a girl" It wasn't until after this weird incident happened that he realized the man had said "squirrel" not "girl."

As our neighbor moved down the street, Luke was still far behind and had no idea what was going on. I shuffled the kids on to the front deck to wait for Luke to unlock the door. The squirrel followed us, jumped on the lattice work and started up the deck. At this point, we were all getting pretty freaked out. We made a break for the back yard. The squirrel chased us all the way back!! Okay, this is really weird, I thought. Since the doors were LOCKED and the keys were in LUKE'S POCKET and he had NO IDEA what was going on, I told the kids to climb up on the swing set platform and grabbed the aforementioned Handy-Rake to fend off this crazy squirrel.
Seriously, picture it....the squirrel is repeatedly coming after me, growling (yes, growling), and trying to get up to the kids, the kids are crying and yelling, I'm fending the critter off with a rake, flipping it into the air a couple of times, trying to retain my composure and comfort the kids. It was insane. My husband, by the way is inside, thinking we had gone out back to play for a while...he did not hear me calling...I was trying not to get the kids too worked up. Finally he comes to the back door to let our little dog out. I'm standing there with the rake, yelling "Get Oliver inside!!!" The kids are crying. The squirrel is attacking. At first Luke thinks I'm making a bigger deal out of the whole thing than necessary, then after a moment's reflection, he realizes...this squirrel is NUTS! (lol) He got the dog in and ran down to the rescue. While Luke took over Handy-Rake duties, I picked up each of the kids separately, running them into the house. When I went to take Sarah, the squirrel was under the back deck stairs, so I made a break for the front door...It took out CHASING us all the way! I put Sarah in and ran back...still chased by the squirrel! I'm thinking of course, "Rabid Squirrel!!!." Finally, we all got in.

We waited a while and Luke took Ollie out to piddle...Rake in hand. Animal Control was closed so I called them the next day and tried to explain this scenario. All I got was,
"That was a mother squirrel. She must have a nest nearby."
I tried again to emphasis the beyond-normal aggressiveness of this squirrel. Nothing...she was entirely unalarmed, uninterested.
"That's what mother's do," she said flatly.
"Ookay, thanks, bye."
Haven't seen the squirrel since...well at least, if we have it was much better behaved. Maybe it was just a really, really, really over-protective mother. We've all met one. I don't know...I'm just sayin'.

All I could think was, "RABIES!!"

It was weird...it was really weird.

Just for Joy

I'm not the kind of person who really enjoys shopping and rarely buy things on a whim, but I was at the Dollar Tree with my hubby the other day looking for a giant bubble wand and a gag gift when I ran in to this little guy.
I couldn't help but smile...he's just so darn jovial. Then I picked him up and instinctively gave his little plastic case a small squeeze...and found myself laughing out loud at the combination of the faint popping sound and the frolicking clown inside. So for a buck, I brought him home. My kids were as impressed with him as I was and have found endless delight in his popping case. Then the unmentionable happened...removed from his case, the little glass clown slipped from Sarah's fingers and broke. I felt a sudden twinge of irritation and the urge to scold her...remembering then that I had also purchased some super glue, I scooped up the clown and in moments our joy purchase was again standing atop his ball making us all smile. I've glued him once more since then, but we're all still smiling.

A lesson in impermanence...everything changes. Glass breaks. Joy can be found in simple things outside ourselves. But lasting joy? That comes from within.

The Picture Post :)

Back from Vacation

I'm ready for a vacation. We arrived home from our zippy Spring Break trip to Florida on Monday at about 2:30 am. The past week has been spent trying to recuperate, getting the kids back and forth to school, avoiding an everest-sized pile of laundry that I've been transferring repeatedly from floor to bed and back, wondering aimlessly around a big city trying to get to a doctor's appointment for my four-year-old, and blowing my nose raw. I keep asking myself, "Did we just go to Disney World?" Whoa...did I miss that or what?

Yes, we drove a long long way. We played in the water, visited Neverland (which Sophie proclaimed as a dream come true), explored Mickey's house and the Hundred Acre Woods, Ooohed and Aaahed at the parade and fireworks. We went on Safari at the Animal Kingdom where Samuel rode his first roller coaster. Then spent a day at Sea World. The shark exhibit was a hit with the older two and we all got a bang out of Clyde and Seamore (at the seal show.) I'm always in awe of the beluga whale exhibit...incredible. I have to admit though, the new Shamu show had me holding back tears a few times...a beautiful tribute to Mother Earth and our connection with all the creatures of our blue planet.

Then we drove back home. Home is good.

Thankful Thursday: Children's Motrin and Toddler Chatter

My kids have been sick this week. Poor Sophie started complaining about a headache Sunday night and has had a fever off and on since, followed by a flaming sore throat and earache. Sarah climbed up in my lap on Tuesday afternoon and said, "I think I have a fever." She was asleep within minutes in my arms. We went to the doctor yesterday...the throat swabs came back negative for strep throat, but I'd be surprised if the culture results told the same story. I am so thankful for Children's Motrin and Tylenol...I know my girls are too.

During weeks like this one, a bit of light-hearted humor does a lot for the soul. Ruby (19 mo.) is always willing to comply. Her toddler chatter is so funny. If you ask her what her name is right now she will always respond with a smile and "Googay." Yesterday she was nursing while I sat at the computer. She stopped and said, "No...no nurse." Pausing for a moment, then, "Okay...nurse," picking up where she left off. I'm thankful for toddler chatter...it's a sign that she's growing up, yes...and nursing my baby will not last much longer...a reminder to laugh and enjoy the fleeting time because baby is growing up.