Me: “Caleb, did you like our walk yesterday?”
Caleb: “What walk?”
Me: “You know. The one with the dinosaur hat?”
Caleb: long long pause.
Caleb: (sigh) “No. Because of the wind. It was very very windy.” (another pause as we look at each other)
Caleb: (coming over for a hug) “Do you still love me?”
Me: (laughing and squeezing back) “Of course I still love you!”
On Monday, we had heavy rain all day long, which washed most of the snow away.
Tuesday morning (yesterday), Grace came downstairs and said, “Do you know what woke me up this morning? A bird! Mom, what bird sounds like this?” (she sang a bird tune) “I feel like it’s turning into summer!”
I was excited, too. The sunny outdoors was beckoning and so, ’round about 9:30, we all bundled up in our coats and boots and went outside. I wanted to go look at the stream, to see how much it had risen with all the rain and melted snow.
But first, we fed the chickens and let them out. They had a marvelous day, scratching and rolling around on the ground, enjoying the sunshine. We are getting half a dozen eggs a day now. David dropped two on the porch yesterday as he was carrying them to me. oops.
Then, the children tested the ice on the long pond. This pond is not deep, so I let them walk on it. The ice was still solid and wonderfully smooth, except for the very edges.
The chickens got on the ice, against their will.
We stood and watched the stream, after helping Caleb with a tragedy: he had lost David’s dinosaur. I hadn’t even known that he had a little toy dinosaur with him. It proved to be a problem throughout our entire walk.
Grace got on a rock, and was surrounded by fast moving and loud water. She was still wearing her pajamas and robe.
We found a little boy’s plastic builder hat, which ended up being the carrying device for the toy dinosaur.
I missed my Davy. He was at school, having a wonderful time, but we missed him on our walk.
I was reading a book about marriage this morning, and in it was a man’s wishes for his wife….on the list was, “and take good care of my little ones.” That one little phrase keeps running sweetly through my mind…..”these are my husband’s little ones, I will take good care of them for him.”
Ethan loves to scoot and shimmy up trees.
Water and ice, and Caleb almost slipped.
I had Sethers (yet another of our nicknames for baby) on my back. Jacob said I looked round, he laughed at me. I had a baby in front, a baby in back and Rich’s big coat over all.
Seth is dreaming good dreams and breathing in the cool fresh air from the woods.
Ethan, standing in front of the tall dead grass at the beaver pond (more like a swamp but we call it a pond) in the woods. Soon this place will be filled with the sound of spring peepers. I love the look of this picture, with all that nice light brown color, and of course my handsome son.
They got on a big moss covered rock. Grace promptly took off her boots to feel the softness. If I coulda, I woulda.
Caleb was guarding that dang dino. Soon after this picture, it was gone and he was howling. Thankfully, big brother Jacob found it again and all ended well.
I had Ethan pull us up a nice soft clump of moss off the spongy ground in the woods. This became a source of great fun. As we walked back to the house, he noticed moss roots hanging off the bottom of the clump. “Oh, moss roots! Can I eat one, Mom?” (“Sure, okay”) “Hmm. It’s hard to bite into……mmmmmm! It tastes just like carrots! These are good moss roots. Grace, do you want a moss root? Here, have one of mom’s moss roots.” Grace says, “It tastes like basil and garlic!” “Jake, we’re eating moss roots!”
I heard the phrase “moss roots” about 50 times.
Ethan and his dirt covered face, from eating, you know, moss roots.
Further discussion on moss roots.
What I did with the moss when we got home. I bought this big jar at a thrift store this past weekend.
I also brought a stick home. I thought it was pretty with it’s ruffles of fungus. Oh it was wonderful to be bringing home nature bits once again! We had a foretaste of spring and a lovely walk.
I took this picture of Davy-do this morning, as he ate breakfast. He made his super-hero mask yesterday at school with the help of one of his teachers.
Thank you so much for all the kind congratulations about our baby news. Jacob says that having a girl will bring a new perspective to the family. Caleb says, “Where IS the baby?” Grace wants to go shopping but says, “I won’t get excited until the baby is born.” Davy just beams, he wanted a girl named Sarah all along. Rich is now calling me “girls”. For example, the other night I was asking him to turn off the light so we could sleep and he said, “Girls! Settle down.” He is happy and it makes me smile.
Have a great day, my friends!
PS, Please do not eat moss roots. I have no idea if they are edible. Ethan says they are, and he is not sick, but I would hate to have someone get sick or die because of this post.
Good to be Home 