Mother Earth is having a party.
She has washed the lands with her rains and pallet... I see her in my minds eye, like the child casting rose pedals
down the wedding isle. With each sprinkling, powdery spring colors burst into character. A little over here... a bit over
there...
The decorations are in place... complete
with pretty colors, and lots of confetti. The blossoming trees and wind have been duly advised... into the air they release
their velvety pedals. Slowly and gently the colors cascade... some make it to the base of the tree, forming a custom carpet
for its master. Pink, green and lemony-yellow carpets adorn every tree I see... The wind takes the remaining pedals on a spiraling
journey... twirling, spinning, dancing - up, up, up into the air, and with that uplift each of us.
The decorations are not fully complete without, the aroma... That, too,
is rich with embellishments... fresh warm air succeeds, migrating the sweet intoxicating perfume beyond the confines of their
floral homes.
The earth feels truly alive. We get to enjoy
this ‘party’ merely by default... Mother Earth doesn’t care if we attend. She is like that... You
have to make your own choice to be present.
Birds have picked their mates. All you see are intimate pairs... The pursuit
is on... chirping pleas, fluttering attempts, and for those that have found their pecking counterpart - nesting.
Much to our delight, we spotted two Night Herons making a nest. Our morning walk has
become a nature adventure... we monitor their progress as often as possible. Who cares if we are the only people at 6 am with
binoculars and a camera.... who cares if we stand in the middle of the street to get a better look... ooohhhhing
and aaaaahhhing... Maybe if the nest survives - which we have serious question about - we will get to see
the babies, and if the heavens aline the first flight! We won’t hold our breath... How could we? ...the smell
is too sweet. We will just enjoy... thankful to witness, and to be in the midst of these changes....
I wonder if Mother Earth steps back to marvel at her dazzling display?
Why shouldn’t she?
I, "Mother Nancy", am
stepping back to marvel at my creations... My children.
This week my little girl has dazzled me with her magnificence.
Charlee lost her first tooth! After weeks and weeks of wiggling
and waiting it finally happened. I was heading into the back bedroom and from the kitchen she screamed. "MOMMY!"
I ran to her immediately, worried by the tone in her voice. Thankfully on my way, there was a second call.. which was a better
tone, with much needed details.... "MOMMY.... I LOST MY TOOTH!!!!" In her little fingers
was the offending - take forever - very sharp - tooth. She was smiling with such joy and disbelief... blood was filling the
empty space. I grabbed a paper towel, rolling it so she could bite down to stop the bleeding. Perplexed, and then realizing
why she needed this, she started to panic. Alex calmed her by his experienced words... ‘Don’t worry Charlee.
It’s okay, I bled too. It’s normal. Just bite on that to stop the bleeding..." He had more clout than Mommy
at this moment. Even though I had told her the same thing, she witnessed Alex losing a tooth... what did Mommy know? I mean,
really!?! It’s been a few years since she lost a tooth...
The bleeding stopped about 15 minutes later. Charlee called anyone she could to tell them the news...
Alex reminded her to put the tooth under her pillow for the tooth fairy. "Clean
it off so it looks nice... maybe you’ll get even more money.... the first tooth is fifty dollars?!!"
I of course chimed in .... "Oh NO! It’s not fifty dollars!" Alex and
I argued back and forth. ‘Yes it is!’ ‘NO, it is not!!’ ‘YES!!’ ‘NO!!!’ Charlee’s
head bobbed back and forth as if she was at a tennis match. I ended the conversation with a Mommy rules card and
a ‘we’ll see tomorrow morning....’
This
was one of the few times Charlee was eager to go to sleep... and one of the even fewer times she woke and got out of bed early...
There she stood, as I made my morning coffee, sleepy, wobbly legged and smiling her toothless smile...holding up her $20.00
dollars. Guess Mommy was right!
Alex heard her
in the kitchen and ran in to see what she ended up getting. He had to see for himself, and to make sure no one was confusing
the ‘2' with a ‘5'...
I instructed Charlee to
put the money in her piggy bank until she thinks of something appropriate to spend it on. After a few moments of explaining
that she can not bring it to school for show and tell... confirmed by the ‘alknowing Alex’... she did
what she was told.
Funny how a missing tooth can make you smile more. And even funnier, that
losing something somehow makes you more complete. Charlee smiled in everybody’s face this day... and thankfully everybody
noticed!
As if this wasn’t enough... another
monumental event happened this same week.
Charlee learned how to
ride a bike, without the training wheels!
Quite recently
Frank had raised her training wheels in an attempt to get her to balance more, she wasn’t having it. She made him put
them back down, siting she was not ready.
Then she went for a play
date at a friends. They had a smaller bike there without training wheels... Her little friends instructed her thru... and
low and behold... she was riding a two wheel bike on her own. She told us, but we didn’t really believe her.
Then she proved it... and thanks to our new camera, we have the first moments
on film. More phone calls to everybody to share the news... so much has happened in such a short time... Is there no end???
She better slow down or Mommy is going to have to sign up for some therapy...
Okay here is the topper.... A few days have gone by since losing her tooth...
Charlee apparently had time to think. She announced that she has decided what she wants to do with her $20.00 dollars.
I stopped for a moment to focus on her - waiting to hear the toy I was going to have to find... Here is the conversation....
"Mommy, I decided what I want to do with my $20 dollars."
There was a pause... I waited for her to continue...
"I want to give it to the poor."
Okay that wasn’t what I was expecting to hear... I didn’t want her to give all her first
tooth money away - how rotten am I...
"Honey,
you don’t have to do that. It’s your first tooth fairy money..."
"No, I decided! That’s what I want to do. Think of all the things those people
can do... they can buy houses, and food and clothes... they won’t be poor anymore."
Okay I may have done something right on the area of instilling compassion... but the
financial area needs a little work....
Trying
to break the news gently.... "Honey, $20.00 isn’t going to go as far as you
think."
"What do you mean?" She was a bit
daunted.
"Well, you might be able to buy a shirt.... or pair of pants.... or some food,
but it wont buy a house or lots of stuff." ...and now visibly disappointed.
"Don’t worry we will think of something
you can do to help. But you don’t have to give your first money"
She sat on
the couch quietly. She wasn’t upset, but she also wasn’t finished. I continued doing my Mommy chores, she continued
thinking. About a half hour passed and Charlee once again took the stand.
"Mommy?"
"Yes,
Charlee"
"Is $20 enough money to buy lemonade?"
"Yes?"
"Well,
then I want to buy as much lemonade as I can! Then I will give that to the poor ...and they can set up a lemonade
stand and make money! Then they won’t be poor any more..."
I hope the hair on you body is standing up... as mine did!
Where did this child come from?!?!?
I’ve yet to think of an appropriate gift Charlee can feel
good about. It’s not too often in our "poor" household, that she gets $20 to spend as she wishes.
The outcome is pending - and there will be another story... For now we are on a tooth fairy money giving hold.