Through their eyes

If life is feeling stressful and you need a great reprieve, go spend some quality time with a kid or two. Trust me, it will change you.

A few months ago, my older sister Audrey promised Hannah and Heidi that I could bring them up to TN to live with her and Luke for a week or so, while mom and dad were in Peru. They were excited beyond words, and proceeded to pack up all their favorite toys and books... three weeks in advance. ;) So this past week, we packed up the clothes and toothbrushes and finally went.

At Luke and Audrey's place I shared a room with Hannah and Heidi. Consequently, nearly every morning I would open my eyes to see two sets of eyes staring back at me, just waiting for me to hurry and wake up. Then it was a mad scramble back under the covers as two little girls dove onto the bed. Oh how I love cuddle time. :)

Our week consisted of many adventures, big and small. The first day we went to the Imagination Station (an awesome playground)...

Picked up some books at the library...

Fed geese at the SAU duck pond...

Then we went grocery shopping, played games, read books... and I think that was all the major adventures for that day. :)

On Thursday we took a trip into downtown Chatt. Our first stop was for supper, and the girls could hardly wait. I had told them all about this restaurant, as it is one of my favorites, and they were so excited to finally get to eat there. It was, of course, the Yellow Deli! :)

After a yummy supper, we drove to the bridge, parked nearby, and walked along the river. Starting at the glass bridge, we made our way down "Lombard street"...

Under the bridge, along the river, across the road, and to the water stairs.

The day was made complete with a ride on the Coolidge park carousel, and ice cream at Clumpies. :)

On Friday the girls went horseback riding with Luke and Audrey. They returned with oh so much to share, and hardly enough breath tell it all. :) The rest of the weekend was fairly relaxed, with lots of games, yummy food, and chill time.

Thinking back on the week, it's funny the things that stand out in my mind - cuddling in the mornings, racing for the shower, doing Hannah's hair up in a bun, brushing Heidi's hair out long and straight, playing mad games of Dutch Blitz, making snow cones, going grocery shopping, picking honeysuckles, checking on the resident baby birds, "cracking" the door after tucking the girls in bed at night... and of course there's more.

But I think what strikes me is the joy and simplicity in it all. When you're with a child, you see things differently. Everything's new and exciting, and you can't help but be swept up in their enthusiasm for life. It's a joy that is contagious... and it's definitely worth getting.

So go spend some time with a kid - feed a goose, read a book, play a game, eat a snow cone...

You'll never regret it. :)

- Shannon

The Great Escape

Sabbath afternoon, my little sister Hannah found a box turtle. Bringing him into the house, she placed him in a box to play with him. Seeing as he refused to come out of his shell, however, she soon tired of him and scampered back outside to play. Of course it wasn't long before he stuck his head out and decided to make his escape. I heard him clawing the side of his box, and called Hannah back in to take the poor turtle outside where I assured her he would be much happier. I warned her, though, to be careful to place him somewhere where our two dogs wouldn't find him. (They've been known to devour most anything.) Not long after, the girls and I were sitting on the front porch reading, when we heard a strange crunching noise. We looked out into the yard to see Sophie (one of the dogs) chewing on what appeared to be a turtle! I noticed right away that it was an empty, sun-bleached shell, probably belonging to some poor turtle from a bygone era. The girls, however, did not notice this... and I shall never forget the look on their faces. They sat there in stunned silence, their mouths hanging open in shock and disbelief. I decided to play along for a moment, and put my hand to my mouth in mock terror, exclaiming "Oh my..." Then Sophie picked up the shell in her mouth again, revealing its lack of contents. At this, Hannah breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Oh good!... he got away... So how long can a turtle live without his shell?!"

Even now I chuckle to myself, picturing this naked turtle making a break for it across the yard... leaving the poor, confused dog sitting there with nothing but a shell in his mouth... 

- Shannon

Home again home again...

School is out for the summer! Kinda funny that last time I posted was when school had just begun last fall. ;) Oh well. I think it was my roommy Olivia that inspired me to begin blogging again... That and the fact that I'm home and can write on the antics of my dear siblings. Oh, and I think it might have also had something to do with facebook not letting me post certain things in my status updates... like short stories for example... ok, so maybe it was over 600 characters. Anyhow, I'm going to try posting here again... see how that goes. ;)

- Shannon