Lesson #1: Having a kid who loves to draw has its pro and cons. Pro: Little can keep himself quietly entertained for a long time (and by “a long time” I mean 10 minutes). Cons: We’re now the not-so-proud owners of a striped microwave and polka-dotted couch. (And a couple of our friends’ toys display his loving artwork as well…so sorry. Really.)
Lesson #2: I don’t need a therapist, I simply need Kelly Corrigan. I just started re-reading (yes, re-reading) The Middle Place and have been marking all my favorite parts. I’m only a few pages in and I already need to sharpen my pencil (and replace my kleenex box). She’s a beautiful writer and I can relate (a little too well) to her perspective and life experiences.
Lesson #3: While one croc, one flip flop, five hats and a pair of mittens may not be my idea of the perfect accessories on a 100-degree day, Big doesn’t seem to care.
Lesson #4: If having a comfort item is healthy for kids, Little must be the most comfortable kid on the planet with six.
Lesson #5: Kids can be really insightful and truly inspirational. One (7ish-year-old) boy in my neighborhood sets up a stand every day where you can go “Look at Bugs”. He knows everything about the little creatures he captures, and now the other kids in the neighborhood do too. (Like carpenter bees don’t sting, but they do bite. Who knew? The bug kid.) And another 7-year-old boy in our neighborhood hosted a huge walk & jump fundraiser (pictured above) to help other kids who have a rare disease, Alagille Syndrome (AGS), like he does. Here’s to hoping he made his $2000 goal!
I hope you had a colorful, touching, creative, soothing, inspirational week as well! I hope to hear from you in the comments if you have anything fun, sweet or sour to share from your week.
Wow, so sad we missed the walk and jump today…so inspirational…
Love kids, the things we learn from them (and grow)…they bring us back down to where we should be…laughing, learning, exploring and really not caring what anyone has to say or their opinion (like Big and his million accessories). Love it!!!
PS. Are you a crazy lady??!! Middle Place is yes a GREAT book, but it takes BOXES of tissues to get through that one!!
Love ya and you always bring a new view on things for me with your articles! Keep them coming!
Thanks for the kind words, Amy. We weren’t able to stay long at the walk today, but I was just so touched that a little boy wanted to include his community to help others.
And yes, I am crazy. Middle Place isn’t an easy read, but for some reason it was calling me again. Kind of like those mittens were calling Big yesterday, I guess. No wonder he doesn’t make much sense…he’s mine!