Since moving 'north,' we live for this time of year.
That time where Spring is finally unfurling into Summer. When we can count on the sun warming our skin (oh, happy hot sun!), and we can (almost) pack up our jackets for good.
Maria has been asking if the honeysuckle is ready yet…for weeks. Our conversations have reminded me of this favorite storybook of mine. her: "It's really hot today. Do you think there's any honeysuckle?" me: "Not yet, I checked on the walk here." her: "Is it time for lightening bugs yet?" me: "I'm not sure, maybe we can check this evening." And so the lists of questions have continued through the weeks.
Finally… finally, we discovered the mass of honeysuckle vine growing along the baseball field fence, had indeed blossomed. Finally!
She happily shared her honeysuckle love with Camille, who only kind of remembered the experience from last year.
Oh, the bliss of childhood and lazy summer days… It's a marvel to me how all of that is encompassed in this one perfectly sweet and fragrant flower.
The joy of sharing in these moments with a buddy as special as a sister - someone who shares a bed and late night giggles as well as late night art lessons with you (at least at our house); someone who finds it amusing to share her underwear with you because you don't have My Little Pony ones but she does; someone who shares her pillow with you because you need a 'snuggle buddy'.
There's just something ever so magical contained in that honeysuckle flower, I'm convinced of it. I hope these are the days and moments they remember from childhood. The times when we left the house a wreck, forgot about supper plans, and simply romped off because of one sister or another's request to explore.
I hope they also remember the quirky joys of having a baby sister - one who wouldn't participate because she was pouting over her stroller not rolling in the grass. Oh, this girl of mine!
Later in the week with warm weather abounding, we sett off on a ferry ride across the river to go strawberry picking!
It was a small unassuming farm, the rows of berries beginning right along the road where we parked. Dogs were welcome - that's always a sign of good people, if you ask me.
We grabbed a white basket off a folding table and set out along a row. Lila was intent on picking, then throwing and delightedly squashing every berry she could. Camille was on the hunt for 'perfect' berries, following Maria's strict guidance. Ree held the basket, picked a good bit, but she mostly tasked herself with regulating which berries could enter the basket.
The berry picking was fun. But I quickly realized that wasn't exactly the reason we decided to load up and drive 45 minutes on a Saturday morning amid protests for a 'pajama day'. Just as with those sweet (and pouty) moments spent tasting honeysuckle, it was about those unplanned moments…
…the unexpected discoveries of finding the ladybugs you set out looking for while also receiving a lesson in grain crops from Dada.
…unexpected gifts from little hands of golden sunlight flowers; ones we had to wait on because she needed to find just the right ones to pick.
…unexpected delights of sharing cones of homemade vanilla and strawberry ice-cream.
…unexpected joy and
…pure bliss.
Because I'm pretty certain life simply cannot lend a better moment than to romp through an open field with your sister, hiding in the tall grass, giggling and wondering if anyone can spot you.
These girls haven't read my most beloved book of all time - Anne of Green Gables - but they certainly entered right into the dreamland fairytale scene from my many readings of this book. See that house and barn in the background? I'm pretty certain it's nearly exactly like the one Anne lived in. And that makes me smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment