Keeping up

Ever since she was born, she has been running to keep up with her sisters.  I had to laugh yesterday when I found her going over flash cards with her baby on my back doorstep.  Age-appriopriate activities are of little interest to this one, especially with 2 older sisters to keep up with.

First harvest

I found our first tomato harvest neatly piled at the bottom of our robust tomato bush this morning.  These perfectly green and unripe tomatoes were harvested by my no.3 and very lovingly placed in a little pile.  When I asked her if she picked them, she said, "yes, I got those!"  Clearly, she didn't realize that they needed to be red, not green.  Oh well!

Thank goodness for the rain and all the flowers and buds on our tomato bush.  Hopefully we will have a true red tomato harvest soon!

the bouquets and clippings

As cliche as it may sound, I do love flowers and especially bringing fresh flowers into my home.  There is something about their living presence that seems to bring such warmth and comfort to any space.  This week, my Mother's Day bouquet, that was thrust into an old mason jar and set on the tray in the middle of the table by my sweet husband and children, sprung to life midweek as the roses opened up to show their rich and contrasting colors. 

I do love taking care of bouquets the way my grandmother taught me.  Doting on bouquets of flowers was something she loved to do and something she got quite good at being the mother of 5 boys spread out all over the world.  Each holiday and birthday brought lots of flowers her way.  

She would change the water daily and make a fresh cut to their stems as she carefully pulled out any stems that began to show even the tiniest bit of brown.  This simple magic seemed to make her bouquets last for many more days than the average bouquet someone gets and does nothing with.

By the end of a week or two, the original bouquet might be half it's original size but just as beautiful as the day it was received.  

To my delight, our dear piano teacher met me with some fresh gardenia clippings from her garden today.  Their delicate and fresh scent is utter delight and my preferred floral scent.  I adore the gift of fresh clippings from a garden.  To me, it is worth so much knowing someone nurtured those blossoms and took the time to clip them for me.  When I taught school, one student always brought me roses from her grandmother's garden wrapped in a wet towel and foil.  They were the most thoughtful gift that I remember so fondly many years later.  Next time you are in need of a little gift, head out to the garden and clip some flowers.  Even wrapped in a wet paper towel and foil, they are the easiest and most considerate gift.

I need a mason jar!

Before school this morning, she dashed out to the back deck to find some millipedes. For my big girl who doesn't normally play with or catch critters, I was so surprised. She came running in the back door and exclaimed, "hurry, I need at mason jar!"  As I retrieved one from the pantry, I found her coaxing a millipede off the deck with her Flat Stanley book.  Just before she needed to go for school, she caught one in her jar and firmly tightened the lid.  It would be safe there until she arrived home from school.  When I went back to move the jar outside, I noticed that she had neglected to think about air for her precious milipede. Part of me wanted to just leave it and let her discover her mistake but the mother in me quickly punched out some holes in the lid for the little guy inside.  With all this rain, the little critters seem robust and everywhere.  

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you lovely mothers!  I hope your hearts are robust with love and happiness today.  Raising little ones is definitely not easy, but incredibly rewarding. Cheers to all of you who daily put in the endless energy to raise fine little people!  Motherhood is definitely the most amazing but uniquely common gift many of us receive.

Down the river to camp we go

On our way to a weekend family retreat, we drove through the river. The only way to our camp was through the river. My kids were delighted as the hung their bodies out the side of the car window to catch a glimpse of Daddy driving the car down the riverbed. 

It was quite an adventure to arrive at camp through the river. Thankfully the water is only about 4 inches deep and the riverbed is a layer of solid limestone.

I love these little adventures that cement bits of memories in our minds. 

Chocolate

We stopped by this wonderful little French bakery in the piano teacher's neighborhood while her sisters were taking their lessons.  It had been a long week and I thought a little treat was in order (more for myself than for this little one).  I picked out a dainty chocolate cup of thick, dense mousse.  When I sat down at the table with my little side-kick, she eyed the pretty chocolate cup of goodness.  I offered her a bite and she didn't stop until the delectable treat was almost gone.  She was intent and focused on getting large forkfuls of the chocolate into her mouth without spilling.  When she had almost finished the treat, she shoved the plate aross the table and exclaimed, "Here Momma, I don't like chocolate."  I was flabbergasted and stunned at her admission.  When I pushed the plate back and said, "Yes, you do like chocolate," she looked at me and said, "No, Momma.  I don't like chocolate."  

What a funny little thing to say after eating most of my dessert.  

As I finished the last few bites of the mutilated dessert on the plate, she sat still with a mouth smeared in chocolate and smiled.  I was struck with such laughter at her funny little personality.