Thanksgiving 2010: An Ode to Trees

We tiptoed onto Papa's Grandma's land in the darkness, and were greeted the next morning, the day before Thanksgiving, by this magnificent tree. It was the perfect beginning, the perfect reminder to give thanks for the beauty that surrounds us. We celebrated it by adorning our trusty Vagabond with Andy Goldsworthy-esque devotionals.

Big B, little b and their Georgia kin experienced the joy of jumping into a huge crunchy leaf pile, making leaf angels, and basking in the shade and raining leaves of the changing trees. We read The Giving Tree a lot during the trip, resonating deep in the heart of our eldest, who called his favorite climbing tree "Mama Tree" and talked to her every day.
More tree love: deep into the swampland on a brisk four-wheeler ride, we found this incredible cypress wonderland.

At our family reunion on Saturday, we hosted a children's craft table. I braided raffia throughout the trip in preparation for more leaf crowns. Papa and the boys went on a leaf-hunting expedition and collected the most beautiful fall leaves I've ever seen. The kids were crowned, created leaf rubbings, and wrote their gratitudes on paper leaves.The most beautiful tree I saw over the weekend: the family tree. I am so lucky to have married into this family, and so thankful that my children have this kind of history and sense of home to revisit, connecting them to their roots.

After the reunion, we visited a dear friend's property, one of the most beautiful pieces of land I've ever stepped foot on. She took all of us on a magical four-wheeler ride just as the sun was setting. About twenty minutes into the ride, when all daylight was gone, she asked us to turn off our lights and engines. She told us about the forest fairies that help the trees grow and the flowers bloom. The fairies only come out on chilly nights when all is quiet. She told the children to watch out for them, glowing in the trees. We continued our ride, and sure enough, as we neared the creek, there they were--and our children were mesmerized. I am forever grateful for this sweet woman.

The morning we left, we helped Papa's grandma with another special tree, infusing us with Christmas spirit for the long ride home.

Driving away, we passed the orchard of pecan trees that finds its way into Papa's retirement dreams. Such a sense of peace is found between these branches.

Another Thanksgiving, come and gone. And I have never been more thankful for the gifts of my life than I am at this moment. Hoping you all had a restful holiday filled with pause enough to count your blessings.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Game...

There we were, all packed up for the football game and heading north on the highway, when we just decided it didn't feel right. We were late as it was, wouldn't have gotten there until halftime, and Big B and little b were taking turns wanting to go and not wanting to go (and there was never a time when the two were in sync). We decided to head home, when just at the right time, we got a phone call from a dear friend who told us about a fruit farm having a family festival. It was very close to where we were, and made a happy destination for four flustered folks.

We bought a fistful of tickets and let Big B and little b have their run of the place. They spent quite a bit of time in the Butterfly Garden, exhibiting rarely seen patience and caution.

They each tested their physical boundaries through various exploits in bouncing, climbing, springing, jumping and sliding.
We had a lovely picnic on the ground and saw lots of lovely things.
When it was time to go home, we had a few tickets left, and spent them on homemade donuts from this lovely woman. They were divine, and the boys were enthralled with the process.

Sometimes the best things happen accidentally. And sometimes, I believe, there are no accidents. The afternoon found us in exactly the right place, at exactly the right time. And all four of us were happily in sync.

A Fall Family Feast

Little b really does go to the sweetest little preschool in all the land.

On Friday, he and his five classmates and their parents gathered for a fall family feast. Each family brought a dish and a craft to share.

(Our craft: each child made a sycamore leaf crown, inspired by Chasing Fireflies.)

When crafting and singing and playing were through, we went into the sweet school for our feast. It was all, every dish, DELICIOUS.

Much ado was made about fancy manners and best behavior, and for the most part, the little ones lived up to the task beautifully. It was quite heartwarming to see them all together, breaking bread, sharing this space of growing and being so proud to show their big siblings and parents their special place.

Thankful is as thankful does.

On Gardening with Children

I have the joy of being one of the 'room moms' for Big B's first grade eco-gardening project. On the south face of the first grade building, they have been given a 10'x50' plot of land to learn one of the oldest, most forgotten, yet most important lessons of life: how to grow their own food. Through the generosity of several local business partners (a landscape supply company, a landscape architect, a native plant nursery and an organic farm), our garden has two plots for each of the eight first grade classrooms, with one herb or vegetables for every two kids. There are tomatoes, crookneck squash, cucumbers, collard greens, kale, spinach, lettuces, basil, lemon balm, parsley and more.

The children have been involved with every step of the process, from learning about the soil that was put down to planting and watering and now to weeding and caring for the little seedlings.
Big B and his garden-mate have a little collard plant to care for. They are so proud of it, and every morning when we walk by on our way to class, Big B checks diligently on his plant.
A few of us parents are taking turns watering the garden twice a day, and once every week or so, we step into the classroom and take out the children in their pairs, to check on the progress of their little seedlings. My friend and fellow garden mama made charts for the kids to measure the height, number of leaves, fruit and flowers, and presence of bugs on their plants at each visit.

"Teaching children about the natural world

should be seen as one of the most

important events in their lives."

-Thomas Berry

Birds of a Feather

A few weeks before Halloween, I was making a regular stop at my favorite Goodwill when I happened upon nine absolutely gorgeous feather masks for a dollar apiece. I couldn't resist. For several days before the 31st, Big B and little b took turns wearing each, as well as a number of other accessories, and "scaring" each other throughout the house. It was a treat to have two tricksters who really felt the magic of the masquerade this year!

For complete photo documentation of our Halloween bash, please visit Noni's photo album.

On Camping, and the Regeneration of Cells

For two weekends in a row, our family has camped near bonfires with old friends. How lucky I am to have typed that sentence! Last weekend it was back to The Dome for sweet music and celebration...

...and last night, back to The Ranch, this time for a seventh birthday party.

There was a collective spirit in the air, accented by pumpkins and ghosts...

...and sweet party games that just don't happen enough anymore. Like apple bobbing. Oh, the triumph!

The children, all dirt and grins, communed with nature on every level, ending with a sweet cow-feeding frenzy this morning. Gentle giants, my boys and those beasts, so beautiful.

What really struck a chord with me was the sheer villagery of it all. The eldest of our blessed tribe of babes is now seven. SEVEN. You've likely heard that all of our human cells regenerate every seven years--these incredible little people (over twenty of them!) have been together since zygotehood and are now completely reinvented, regenerated, and renewed, but have imprinted upon them the spirit of community, and always will.

The things that make up our physical bodies morph, change, die and are reborn. But upon strong foundations, new beauty emerges. We are constantly witnessing a steady stream of birth and rebirth with these entities we've been chosen to guide, and it is a mighty force of love, light, and pure, sweet laughter.