Lessons

It started with a cooking lesson.

He made the trail mix and she made the sandwiches.

My little helpers were more than enthusiastic.

The little miss insisted on using a real picnic basket

to tote the yummies.

Then, packed up with extras of everything, 

we headed out 

to spend the day out here.

We called chickens

and named goats

all the while giggling at their antics.

My children have taught me so many lessons of love,

teaching me to slow down,

to pause to examine, to hesitate to wonder, how to hold on just to admire,

soaking up the new.

Like this,

Tristan's enthusiasm for this part of our field trip was unquenchable,

his expression gets me every time.

My cautious one, however, was a little more unsure of her feelings about the goats when they were on the same side of the fence.

Another lesson appreciated in motherhood,

watching the littles fulfill their own design from day one,

each one niched so perfectly with their own set of gifts to the world.

The explorers, the caretakers, the thinkers, the risk takers,

we have them all. 

Did I mention the ladies' men?

I have one of those too.

Anyway,

our day was wonderful,

lessons in butterfly chasing,

turtle watching 

and fish spotting,

with a good measure of baby toting

and a good dose of how-much-crap-can-we-lug-along-with-us.

Another day leaving me thankful for the lessons in friendship

and the everyday beautiful.