i am standing in the kitchen making dinner. pandora is blaring. the boys are off in their little necks of the wood-literally. i have about 5 minutes before the hunger in their bodies reminds them that they have a warm home with a mother who is steady at the helm stirring a pot of something hot that they will likely dismiss with unsavory remarks.
and just like that the breeze blows in leaves and debris from their wild outdoor adventures. cockaburs and uprooted plants gather in their shoes and tousled hair. their arms are full of whittled sticks, slingshots, air soft guns, bow and arrows. an arsenal for any adventurous boy. again, i remind them to please leave their sticks by the door.
i glance down. the smelly trash grabs my senses. you can only smell it if you are standing close to the huge receptacle. and i am. i type on a keyboard sticky from my failed effort to multitask. eating a leftover peanut butter and jelly quarter of a sandwich whilst typing. trying hard to document our day. this day i lost yet another pair of boots. the ones that now rest in peace in the smelly bag that lines the can within my sense of smell.
o, and to think just this morning when asked what i was thankful for, i remarked: my five senses. god is so good that he gave us 5 ways to enjoy this amazing world. and now i curse that sense of smell. so close. stinky boots-filled trash.
i often think that the perfect gift for a new mother is a good pair of wellies, a boot that is fitted for battle-in puddles, hills, mud and traipsing through high wooded areas. a new diaper bag is cute and practical. a diaper genie is obsolete{loathe}. a monogram blanket will be adored, but not used. however, a good pair of boots. those are sure to get a lot of miles in a house where young children dwell. and if they don't, then, well that is just too bad, friend. i ask you. do you own a pair of boots, but keep them for something other than the nitty gritty of life with younguns? kindly consider dusting them off and joining your little ones{or some borrowed children}on the grandeur of the outdoors. for when you tuck in your pant legs you feel positively invincible as you walk through the woods. no snake can bite. no insect can find its way with that rubber barrier as you set off into the woods.
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| my first pair |
once upon a time when we lived in the suburbs and our 3rd baby was newly born, i ventured out in a pair of polka dotted boots with my little boys. it was just beyond our fenced backyard. it was a spring morning. we were within eye shot of our little brick bungalow. and there the 4 year old noticed, "mommy, scat!" the mysterious and alluring{for kids}droppings from a deer. and within a few feet we found the molted antler. exhilarated with our find, we made a pact that day. nature is worth our prowess. there is always something worth finding when we step out beyond our comfort zone and into nature. and that day we were rewarded for our measly endeavor. me, a mama with two young ones and a newborn. sleep deprivation was heavy on me, as was the post baby weight. i craved a bed, a pillow and a decadent sleep. every season has its time. i was in the season of toddlers and babies and a curious minded lad who did not wish to play indoors on this spring day. and so i girded up all my inner mama mojo. and for that reason, i have burned through a number of rubber boots. have literally worn them out. that precious antler rests by our front door more than 9 years later. a signpost that we are the kind of family who lives for an adventure especially ones out in nature. and we are always rewarded for our undertaking.
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| antlers:franklin,tn{2003)coral:dominican republic{2009} nature bowls teeming with treasures too many to recall |
i sure hope this week's end finds you traipsing and traveling out of doors to wonder and revel in the beautiful sodded soil. breathe in. consider the sky. can you hear the small as well as the great? feel the crisp air. savor the fall flavors. you have five senses so you might as well use them.
yours,
gf
p.s. this is my 200th post. and i have so much more to tell you. thank you for the encouragement! so grateful for this space.
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