It's Not Always As It Seems

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how Dave and I undertook clearing the backyard of dead tree branches and other storm related damage.  There were pieces of flattened wet cardboard all around.  I didn't see it as anything but trash.  We happily continued our space clearing and stacked the twigs into piles of various sizes for a future campfire.

Yesterday, while Dave drove the Nomad to Belfast, Maine for Meg to do the repairs on it, I remained at home to work on my painting.  The children were home from school before I was done and I had to do a quick clean up.

They shared riding Tristan's bike. One pretending he's at the races, and the other pretending she's a trick rider and practicing her balancing act.  While Tristan rode, Alyssa befriended a large black cricket and named him "Jack Hopper Cricket".  "He needs to have a first and last name, Grammy!"  OK...

My middle name may be, " TROUBLE", but hers is, "DRAMA".  There is no fury like that of a six year old.

When I'm questioning things in the world or saying how full of drama the next generation is, then I have to look at myself and see where they learned it from... (most parents say that all their children's bad behaviors were learned at school.) I have no excuse - I home-schooled.  Therefore, a majority of life's lessons are acquired from home whether good or bad.  Dave and I are the original mini-series in the drama realm for this family.  Shakespeare got all his material from life and then embellished it to make it more entertaining, so that his audience would laugh at themselves.  If one gets mad at a scene, then there is usually a trait that is in one's own personality that is being mocked.  Complaining, whining, moaning, manipulation, control, power struggles, jealousy, envy, greed, sloth, gluttony, and pride are all part of the human condition.  Every person has to overcome something that's out of whack within us, and these behaviors can be modified with practice.
( Speaking of modifications, Dave interrupted my train of thought by suggesting that we add a turbo rocket to the rear axle of the Nomad)  Any comments?

I decided to shower yesterday afternoon as I planned to go out in public during the evening. Matt told the children to play out back.  I was only under water for approximately ten minutes and came out to hear the tormented screams from my granddaughter.  I toweled off the excess water and quickly dressed into shorts and a tank top as the small bathroom retains heat like a sauna.  I opened the door for air to find an elfish faced crying child.  I told her to stop crying so I could understand what she was trying to tell me.  Through about five minutes more of just hugging her until she was cohesive, I practiced my own breathing deep.

Then began " The Case of the Missing Fairy Boxes".

"I made special homes for the Fairies and they're GONE!"
"Where did you put them?", I asked.

"They were out in the backyard until YOU cleaned it."

Oh my.  Am I meddling, not minding my own business or what? I think I'm doing good only to be causing TROUBLE again....so, you are now sitting on the edge of your seat wondering--What happened next?

Well, fast thinking, smart woman that I am. (Dave says, "please hold all comments at this time...") Now, I forgot what I was going to write...

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle...are you engrossed by the drama yet?

It came to my mind to have her show me where her fairy house was.  She led me to a pile of seashells and stones.  "It was right here," she said pointing to the shells.
 "What was right there? SEE the entrance I made with my beads!"
"THE FAIRY HOUSE"  (Ok, we are getting no where...)
"What did it look like?  I picked up all sorts of sticks and wood and put them over here in this pile.." as we walked over to the piles of neatly sorted wood.
"NO GRAMMY, I USED A CARDBOARD BOX."  (Wow, at least now I have something to work with.)
"Let's make another one."  (I saw a stack of boxes in the corner beside the sofa and took a small box off the pile to give to Alyssa.  Tristan, smelling the beginnings of creativity about to happen, asked for one too.)

The Case of the Missing Fairy Boxes solved and two happy children lost in the wave of invention were busily at work making houses for the next generation of fairies.

That was my day - how was yours?
Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave