Hodge Podge Post

I almost had some really great pictures for you all this week, almost! Here is what you missed:

• You almost saw a group of three baby squirrels lined up in a row on our fence, who looked like they were watching the inhabitants of our house like a television show. That would have been so cute, right?! But the three baby squirrels ran for it when I turned on the camera.
• You almost saw darling pictures of Rugby curled up in the chair by the window, watching over the neighborhood - but he follows me everywhere and jumped up the minute I went to grab the camera.
• You almost saw gorgeous pictures of the girls playing outside, laughing at one another. Again, I went to grab the camera and they were gone. (Don't panic grandparents, I don't mean really gone, just that they had split the scene).

So, I submit, that if I'm going to have a really interesting blog, I'm going to need a batman style gadget belt for my camera, and a powerful zoom lens before those baby squirrels grow up. They are the cutest things ever, I swear! Oh, and Rugby is going to have to learn "stay". Until I have these necessary tools, I thought I'd post these stories which are most likely interesting only to my Mom and sister.

Yesterday I was doing my routine 6 month cleaning out of the kids' rooms. You wouldn't believe the stuff that builds up, even with the fact that they clean up their toys every evening before bed. I had been in the girls' room for about half an hour, and as usual I was becoming increasingly irritated by the volume of junk I was finding. I thought to myself, "it's like trying to clean out a magpie's nest!" And with that random thought, something hit me: each little piece of "junk" was something that one of the girls had treasured enough to give it a place.

It was amazing how my perspective changed, and my eyes were able to see new things. I noticed that many of the tiny scraps of notebook paper stuffed hither and thither had words like "Mom" and "Dad" lovingly inscribed in the center of big red hearts. Each bit of string had been collected from some park or trail where it's bright color had caught the eye and imagination of one of my daughters. One of my favorite magnets was "decorating" the nightstand, no doubt cherished for it's painted scene depicting a cottage bedecked with roses. (Incidentally, I have sensed that the symmetry of my fridge door has been off for some time, this explains everything). This wasn't junk that had been scattered by careless, messy children. These were things that their child's eyes had found beautiful or interesting enough to save. I found myself smiling fondly at each item, and trying to guess which daughter had collected which "treasure".

Yes, I still threw them all away. If I hadn't, my whimsical daughters would soon have been buried beneath scraps of paper, bits of string, and stolen magnets. Before you shout me down - I did let them keep the magnet.

On a similar note, I love to listen to my children play. I usually have at least one of them near me as I'm bustling about the house doing one thing or another. When they think I'm busy and not listening, they tend to abandon themselves wholly to their play. Yesterday, Emma was playing outside the room I was working in. She was trying to walk her two favorite stuffed dogs, Alice and Wolfie, together on the same leash and becoming increasingly exasperated with them. They were not cooperating. Having two dogs myself, and having tried to walk them together on a split leash, I admired her restraint and her lack of offensive language. She noticed me watching her, and said in mock frustration, "Mama, Wolfie is just not doing a good job on this walk. Alice is trying to do well but Wolfie is ruining it!". "Wow", I said, "That is so frustrating - sounds like Wolfie needs 'The Dog Whisperer' to come over and set him straight!" Emma gasped and whispered fiercely, "He can hear you Mama! Maybe he's just having a hard time because he's got alot of stuff on his mind."

And with that, Emma, Alice, and Wolfie walked off in a huff. It looked to me like Wolfie was still dragging behind stubbornly.

One more story from my Eco-Warrior and her trusty companion. Last evening, Emma found a bug in her room. Emma treasures all bugs, from the tiniest gnat to the nastiest spider. She carefully collected the little guy in half of a plastic Easter egg and rushed him outside. I heard the following conversation through an open window:

Emma: "Oh No! He fell in the dirt instead of the flowers!"

Hannah: "It's okay Emma, he'll be okay - he's just a bug"

Emma (in high tones of offense): "He is NOT just a bug, he has feelings just like you!"

Hannah (in tones of wonder): "Really?? He really does?? Wow!!"

Emma (in her most know-it-all voice): "Well, yeah Hannah, he's a living thing! How do you think bugs walk around all over the place if they don't have feelings?"

I've actually wondered that quite often about some people I've seen walking around, apparently without feelings. Seriously, though, I love the innocence in Hannah's wonder, and the ardent faith in Emma.

Well, that's all I've got to report from the nest for now. Hopefully I'll have some pictures soon!

Love, Jen