Here we are on our morning jog. Two miles with two kids is a workout:-) I look ridiculous with the two of them sharing that stroller seat, but it doesn't matter. I got a good workout and that's the whole point. I just want to be healthy. It kind of reminds me of swimming with tights on, and four layers of bathing suits, something I never realized I missed. It was work, but it kept you going just imagining how you were going to fly once you took them off.
This is a random collection of a post. We are engrossed in the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They are written about her life on the American frontier, and are filled with adventure and hardship. We read together every night. Her American life was very different from mine. I've been thinking a lot lately about liking where and when I live. About being engaged in my surroundings and reaching out to those around me.
Another thing I've been thinking about is hording. (This may seem unrelated, but wait, there is a connection.). There is a bit of hording in my family as there is somewhere in the families of almost all my friends. A friend and I had a discussion about this and she thought it came from having a scarcity mentality in a world of overabundance. I thought she put that well. It is relatively easy to get stuff now. Judging from the wildfire-like spread of self-storage units near us, our possessions have grown faster than the sizes of our homes.
There is a passage in Little House where Ma puts the one decoration (a porcelain doll) on the mantle. Or when they have to leave the home Pa just labored to build, and the garden they just finished planting to head off for a new land just dreaming about the taste of the vegetables and imagining the rabbits having a feast on them. Or selling the cow they couldn't take, and knowing that meant no milk or butter. (Especially hard for me to imagine). That was a time of scarcity.
But what is scarce for us now?; If we have this biological need to stockpile, what is in short demand now? In Little House they have tons of passages exploring the plants and animals of the earth, sitting out under wide starry skies, listening to their father play the fiddle and sing. Those things are probably rare now. Not that I'm going to take up the fiddle, but it's given me something to think about.
Also a few pics from Easter.
We've all gotten quite a kick out of this birthday present. I love being silly together. Today James is four years old. His favorite thing to do is ride his bike. Power Rangers is his favorite movie. His favorite book is Little house on the Prairie. His favorite food is Mac and cheese. Favorite drink is orange juice. He doesn't like going to stores, "not even one tiny speckle.". I really thought that was funny when he said that, and quickly tried to adapt the phrase for my own personal use. But he informed me that I'm not allowed, because I'm not "in charge of that word."
Luca was a bit down after school yesterday because some kids were laughing at him and he feels like he can't be in the group. He said that he wished James were there, because James wouldn't let anyone be mean to him, and he would have his own group. He's probably right about that. James does not put up with any crap. That boy has some attitude:-) In a good way. He is such a fun important member of "our group."
James loves his friend who went along on our walk. In fact, he likes her so much that he wanted to go to sleep looking at her picture instead of his transformers DVD. Move over optimus prime:-)
We went for a walk today in the state park near our house. Loved to be outside with my kids. We went this weekend as a family and it was so nice, I couldn't wait to get back out there. It gives me that feeling of peace, and I recognize that I have everything I need for a good life...of course in a couple weeks I'll need benedryl to achieve the same effect:-)
Here is miss Libby in a sweet outfit that a dear friend made for her.
And James and Libby playing together.
