The Recycled Box

On Playing

Not too long ago I spied a box by the road for recycling. A very large box. A perfect box to have fun with.

“Michaela,” I said, “Do you remember Christina Katerina and the Box? That box by the road would be perfect to play with.”   We asked the neighbors if we could have it and then dragged it home.

I don’t know of many things a child loves more than a huge, recycled box to play in.  A box like that is a rare treat.  Even I like to go inside The Club House when I go up to Michaela’s room.  (Yes, I’m allowing the box to live in her room right now.  I know this sweet phase of life won’t last forever.)

Are we having fun yet? 

We are indeed!  Do you see that I am a member of THE CLUB?  Michaela and a neighbor friend made THE CLUB sign from popsicle sticks.   The box is covered in all sort of notes.  There is even a key hidden in her bedroom that you must use to enter The Club House.  There’s a little keyhole cut into the cardboard door.

On Children Growing Up

This past weekend was prom night for my oldest son’s girlfriend.  She happens to be one of the loveliest and sweetest girls I have ever met.  Did I say how gorgeous she is?  She is also hard-working and smart.  (Can you tell I like her?)

Anyway, I was given the okay to put a picture of them here so that you could check out how spiffy they looked.  She was voted prom queen.  

What I’m Reading These Days

Since Princess of the Universe will be 11 this summer, I know she’s certainly entering that transition phase from girl to young woman.  She’s had plenty of years of running around screaming with her brothers and dressing in any old boys’ hand-me-downs that she could get her hands on.  Yes, she’s got plenty of dresses too and she wears them frequently, but I am preparing myself for a bit of training that I know needs to take place. 

I pulled Beautiful Girlhood off the shelf last night and began reading it again.

“A girl is not able “to be her own boss” until she has passed these changing years.  Not till then can she look upon things with a settled gaze.”

Princess of the Universe being my fourth child, I have learned that an easy toddler can have a turbulent transition through adolescence, and a difficult toddler can grow into a dream child who never questions and never disobeys.  You just cannot easily predict what will happen through “the teenage years.”  That said, I’m trying to do a bit of reading about this transition for girls.  She is my first girl, after all. 

There are passages in the book that are good for all of us, even my boys who are nearly grown.

“Character is not given to us; we build it ourselves.  Others may furnish the material, may set before us the right standards and ideals, may give us reproof and correction, may guide our actions and mold our thoughts.  But we build our own character.  It is we who absorb the good influence about us, adopt the ideals, reach for the standards, and make ourselves what we are.”

Nature Study

Princess of the Universe and I have  been sitting on her bed this morning looking at a little bird.  I was busy downstairs getting ready for the day when Michaela came tip-toeing towards me, one finger over her mouth in a shhhh stance, and whispered to me that I needed to come up and see what was sitting right outside her bedroom window.  It was so sweet.  It was a small, lone bird sitting quietly ourside her window.  I’m not even sure what kind of bird it was, but it does give us a nature mystery to solve today.

I hope you have a bit of nature today that makes your heart sing.  I hope you have time to have a cup of tea and put your feet up and think on good things.  I hope you have a wonderful Monday.

Lynn