Fun With Nature

So the girls and I are on the road yet again, doing our best to soak up every last minute of Summer vacation!  We're at my parents right now preparing for a visit to Big Meadows (oh my goodness!).  I'm very excited because Mom & Dad are coming with us.  As an extra special treat, my roommate from college is also joining us and bringing two of her children.  Sophie, Clara and I are thrilled to share one of our favorite places with some of our most favorite people!

Lately, the weather has been cooler (SO NICE!) and quite rainy.  My parents have a number of large oaks around their house and some of the roots have grown back above ground.  The rainfall created small pools in these exposed roots that were the perfect size for a Playmobil party!

 

 

 

There are also mushrooms growing everywhere.....all different kinds.  The oak pools and the mushrooms are too fun and great for a child's (and, okay, a Mom's too) imagination!

75 degrees.....sitting in the shade of a large oak tree....Mom & I sipping on hard cider.....Clara playing quietly......aaaaahhhhh, if Summer is like this all the time, I'll take it!

Overprotected Kids Go "Wild"

In early April, we received the most recent issue of The Atlantic.  The cover story was one titled "The Overprotected Kid".  I couldn't break the magazine open quickly enough.  This is a topic I think about A LOT.....I know my kids don't have enough freedom and I worry how about how it will affect them in the long run.  Like most people my age, I had WAY more freedom than my own children.  My parents let me loose in the neighborhood and I was only called in for dinner or when it got dark.  

I LIVED in the woods and I am well aware that the amount of time I spent surrounded by nature shaped me in a HUGE way.  I played in the creek daily.  Didn't Mom & Dad worry I'd fall, hit my head on a rock and drown?  Weren't they concerned that some weirdo would walk into the woods and steal me?  What about the poison ivy and the snakes and my dirt-covered clothes and shoes?They never seemed worried.  Neither did the parents of my friends.  But letting me loose was one of the most fantastic gifts my parents could give me.  I have such beautiful memories of swinging over the creek on a long vine, building forts, chasing each other through the woods, perfecting our dam building....need I go on?  No one was looking over my shoulders.  Not one afternoon had a planned activity.  

I finished reading the article and I was upset.  But what could I do?  We don't live in an area where I can let my kids loose.  No way.  So what did I do?  I filled the girls' water bottles, packed a few snacks, jumped in the car with Clara, picked Sophie up from the bus stop and headed straight to a nature path near home.  When we got there, I told the girls to go and do whatever they wanted. You should have seen the way they looked at me!!!  It's so sad but they didn't even know what to do.  Go, walk in the woods, play in the creek, get dirty, find some bugs......these are the things I told them.  It took a while and there was some trepidation but they eventually took tentative first steps into the woods.  

And I have to admit that it wasn't easy for me.  These kids weren't raised in the woods.  I was nervous.  I followed them around from a distance as they ventured.  I tried to pretend like I wasn't paying attention to them (yeah right!).  A couple of times I even let them out of my sight (GASP!) but immediately panicked and called them back.  Still, I do get points for trying, right?  As they played and went "wild" (ha!), I took photos.

Of course Harry had to follow along and help protect the girls.

The girls played at this rotted log for about 1/2 an hour until a massive bug ran out and made Sophie jump a foot into the air.  She is not afraid of bugs so that just tells you something about the size and "scary factor" of this particular bug!

I kept going back for more pictures because, as you may remember, towhees are my favorite (sssshhhh, don't tell Harry!).

If I still did my Suburban Field Journal posts, I'd include this picture.  I love when we go somewhere in the suburbs and find a reminder that this used to be someone's large piece of property. Well, I shouldn't say I love it because it actually makes me sad.

My kids are still overprotected.  I want to be positive but I just don't think there's any way around that these days.  Even a laid back parent like me has a hard time letting go.  I will always search for opportunities to give the girls freedom to roam and explore.  Until I find them, I'm happy I had this lovely afternoon with two of my favorite people and I was glad to have a little of my own freedom to take some nature photos!  

Provide For Yourself Without Diminishing The World

Oh, the joys of Spring.  They're here.  Each day I notice at least one new sign of Spring.  And it brings joy to my heart.  

{My daylilies are working hard to bust up out of the ground!}

{The peach tree is sending out its first blooms.}

{The violas came alive again.  The colors went from a little dull to totally vibrant overnight.}

{All the birds are active.  And this bluebird visits every day now.}

Still, here in Charlotte, we're riding the roller coaster that is our current weather pattern.  75 degrees one day and 42 the next.  You just never know what you'll wake up to.  Forrest Gump might say that our weather pattern is like a box of chocolates.  On those days that the sun shines down on us and keeps us warm, we're outside every spare moment, SOAKING IT UP!

{I laughed when the "littles" got tired of taking turns in the Jeep and piled in on top of one another!}

{And Soph, the little girl who always looked exactly like Dad to me, seems to look more and more like me every day.  Some days I look at her and I'm stunned. It's like looking at myself.}

And the sidewalk drawings just keep getting better!

{When I told Soph she couldn't have a lemonade stand, she drew one.}

{I was a little sad when the rain washed the mermaid away!}

{The little faces peering out of the rocket ship windows just kill me!}

Alain and I were riding in the car on Tuesday and the DJ on the radio said, "I hope Mother Nature decides to be nice and give us some warm weather today."  I don't really know why but that comment made me angry. I said out loud, "Really, what have you done for Mother Nature lately?".  Alain, who knows me so well, knew I was talking to the DJ and only grunted in agreement with me.  No other words were necessary.  One of only many reasons why I love this guy so.  But seriously, it did make me upset. Too many of us expect so much of Mother Nature yet we give next to nothing in return.  It's a relationship of take, take, take.  So I was pleased, no....more than pleased, to come across this article by Michael Pollan today (via Rhonda's awesome blog).  I hope you might take a few minutes to read it too. (My post title came from the closing of the article.) I wasn't looking for inspiration or motivation to do more but I was still happy to find it.

  

During Dr. Seuss week at school, I was a Mystery Reader in Soph's class.  I had to read my favorite Seuss book.  Well, it should be pretty clear what my favorite is.  The Lorax.  And as I read to all those eager faces, I was particularly moved by my favorite line:

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to get better.  It's not."

Amen to that.  That Dr. Seuss....he was pretty brilliant, no?

(And can I just say that the kids thought it the coolest thing ever that my name is Audrey, the same as the treehugger teen in The Lorax movie? They used to call me "Sophie's Mom" but now they all call me Audrey.  I love that!)

Hope you're all well and enjoying a beautiful week!

XOXO

A Sneak Peek Inside Sophie's Dollhouse

Sophie's dollhouse is your run-of-the-mill dollhouse.  Alain and I gave it to her for her 3rd birthday.  Over time it's been filled with a family and several rooms of furniture but that is not what makes it special.  I don't remember how it started but every so often Sophie provides my Dad with a Dollhouse Wish List.  The lists are really quite amusing.  Some of the items that come to mind are birthday cake, cheese plate, car rug, birdcage, flower bouquet, and a toilet.  But one thing you need to know is that my dear father is quite creative and imaginative and he's provided her with several doll house items that even Sophie couldn't think of herself.  As  I was straightening the dollhouse a couple of days ago, I took a few photos of my favorite items to share.....

My second favorite dollhouse detail. An easel and paint palette. Not too crazy, right?  EXCEPT that my Dad took Sophie's actual artwork, shrunk it down to dollhouse size and added it to the easel.  So adorable!  Sophie was very excited when she opened this on her birthday!

Of course this one is my favorite.  I think Sophie may have even asked for a picture frame but my Dad upped the ante by shrinking down a photo of Sophie & Hubbell to put in the frame (she was about Clara's age at the time). As you can see, this has been well-loved and is starting to come apart a little. After I saw the photo, I promised myself to fix it up a little.

What dollhouse would be complete without its own dollhouse inside? So cute. Where does my Dad find this stuff?

And the car rug?  Sophie LOVES this even though we don't have any miniature Matchbox cars (good thing because I'm sure they'd be lost in 2.2 seconds!).  When Soph was little, she was obsessed with Matchbox cars and played with them DAILY.  I always adored that about her! I'm sad to report that she's outgrown her love of cars and Clara didn't inherit the same interest in Matchbox.  Pooh! We still have a huge Matchbox collection languishing in a cute bag inside one of our toy boxes.  They only get pulled out when we have boy friends over for playdates....

It wasn't long after we adopted Scout and Atticus that Sophie requested a birdcage for her dollhouse. Dad did not disappoint!  It's really quite pretty. Oh and I just noticed the little fruit basket seen in this photo on the kitchen counter ~ that was also courtesy of my Dad.

One of my favorite things about Sophie's dollhouse is the fact that the chicken coop resides right in the kitchen (that's it to the right, behind Grandpa, in the above photo)!  The rabbits are usually hanging out in the living room. And every once in a while a horse can be found up in the attic. Clearly, it's my kind of place!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Dad doesn't read my blog but Mom may share this with him.....so THANK YOU DAD for giving Sophie's dollhouse so much soul and character.  You know it wouldn't be the same without all of your loving and special additions!

XOXO

The Beach, Nature & Creativity

Welcome to my favorite beach.  

Calibogue Beach.  In our family, we call it Land's End or South Beach.  It's never crowded (not that I've experienced).  This might be because there isn't any parking so you have to walk or bike a good distance to get there.  It could be because there are no amenities. No restrooms, no snack bar, no lifeguards, no umbrella or beach chair rentals.  It might be because there's very little actual beach, especially at high tide.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend swimming here because it's where the Calibogue Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean.  This means heavy currents and sharks (I understand that it's a hot spot for shark fishing but don't take my word on this ~ I may just be overprotective).  What may deter others are the things I love about this beach.  The nature here is CRAZY, there are tons of dolphins and it's the best spot for sunsets.

What thrills me is that Sophie loves it as much as I do.  On Friday AND Saturday, while Clara was napping, this is where she asked to come.  Not to play mini golf, ride horses at the stable, swim at the pool or visit the crowded beach, but HERE. While we hung out and I watched her play, it occurred to me that it's probably my favorite spot/activity for nurturing her creativity.  

For example, just take a look at this sandcastle.

We only brought a couple of shovels and buckets with us.  You can only fit so many things in a bike basket and backpack!  Sophie used those items to make the skeleton of the castle but then collected all kinds of natural items ~ pine cones, shells, driftwood, feathers ~ to decorate it.

My favorite part was the bridge she made out of sticks. I love her imagination.  I don't know that I ever would've thought of that!

 Throughout our visit, items would get added to this lovely castle.....

.....and this was the final view before we left the beach for the day.

Then there's all the digging.  Here Sophie told me she was digging a tunnel.

She was very busy and so quiet (and trust me, she's never very quiet).  Maybe that's another reason I love this beach so much....it captures her imagination as much as mine.

 Then it was on to writing and drawing in the sand with feathers.  Oh, this is so addictive.  Every single member of our family wrote in the sand with a feather tip.

I was happy to receive two love letters.....one being this....

 Be still my beating heart.

 In another moment, Sophie was working quietly in the sand.  I asked what she was doing and she told me she'd made a garden and she was watering it. 

A quick filling of the water bucket. 

And then a sprinkling on her row of plants.

Swoon.

At some point a couple came out with their kayak, promptly got in the water and paddled away.

(I was only slightly jealous!)

Shortly thereafter Sophie found a reed tucked into the sand. She told me she was going to use it as a paddle.  Then she hopped up onto this log and started paddling away.

(I think she was slightly jealous too!)

What could be more perfect?  I'd rather spend a few hours here than just about anywhere else I know.  

(photo taken by Sophie)

See, I told you my girls would turn me into a beach person!!!!  Maybe not the type of beach most people think of (I don't even swim or sunbathe when I'm there!) but a beach all the same!

(this photo reminds me of this one)

Sophie and I.....the beach provided a perfect outlet for our creative energy (mine in the form of these pictures and this blog post!) but, as the saying goes....

.....we took only pictures and memories and left behind only our footprints.