Take a minute and remember why you stay home with your children, and what matters to them when they look back on their family life.
This was a poignant reminder for me to keep focused on what really matters. For those who are unaware, the author of this article died unexpectedly–her choices are made. We who still have today can make our choices. Here’s to no regrets! 🙂
Monthly Archives: July 2013
Nature Surprises
We had a fun surprise today–actually it started yesterday!
While eating lunch yesterday, the boys and I heard a screamingly-loud squawky sound. It sounded like an amplified cricket or perhaps a frog. We voted for the frog, based on the volume. All of us searched but never did find anything, although we heard him again a time or two. It was actually pretty funny, because it was so loud.
Today, the whole family was eating breakfast, when we heard it again–this time from the opposite end of the room. Again, VERY LOUD! This time it didn’t take long for someone to see where the noise was originating. On the top shelf of the bookshelf, sat a little greenish-white tree frog. Happy as you please, just sitting there, in front of the books. Banana Man’s question was, “How did he get up there”, which, of course, nobody knew the answer to. Sometime in the night, he traveled from one side of the house to the other.
He certainly could make a racket, and we all gathered around, cameras and video cameras poised to record his next number. But he was done singing for the morning, and just sat there smiling at us. 🙂
We found him a container to hang out in, and some time during the morning, Ambulance Man added some water for him to splash in. We planned to take him out to the garden to let him go, but got sidetracked with some things. Next time someone checked the container–no frog. Well, we didn’t worry too much, since we had left the back door open, as well as the window; we assumed he must have exited the same way he entered. Which, by the way, we didn’t know how he’d come in…
We’d pretty much forgotten about him, but just before bedtime, Action A happened to look down and see the frog napping under my bread machine, with his head poking out! So funny! By that time, he’d been inside for over a day, so I knew we’d better get him outside. So, I tried to pick him up. He hopped onto the electrical cord and “stuck” with his toe pads. He really is agile and good at gripping. I managed to get a hold on him, and put him out the window. He clung to the side of the house for a few minutes, creeping along until he decided to hop over to the kiwi vine.
Bye-bye little friend! Thanks for visiting!
The next thing I just want to share so I don’t forget someday….
Our family was out walking on Sabbath afternoon in the woods, when we heard this bird that kept on singing and singing and singing. You know how you don’t really notice some things until you realize that it’s been going on and on for a long time? Well, that’s how this was. I clued in to the bird singing, and realized that it was not one of my “usual” birds songs. I have been learning to recognize some birds by their sound, and it is so neat! But this one was new. Banana Man commented about it about the same time that I mentioned that the bird sure had something to say! So, we started looking to see if we could see the bird. Action A spotted the bird, and said casually, “It’s just a reddish-orange one that’s singing.”
Really? Red? And not a cardinal, for sure! By then, he flitted away, and I didn’t get to see it! But my mind was racing, and I whipped out my iPod with the iBird app on it, and looked up Scarlet Tanager. We all listened to the audio recording, and sure enough, it was a match! So, then I was super excited! Yes, I’m becoming a Bird Nerd, but that’s okay. We all looked around and played the audio call, etc. I was able to catch a glimpse of the female, who had a yellow belly. But only Action A was privileged to see the male. That’s okay. We all learned more what the song of the Scarlet Tanager sounds like, and hopefully next time, we will spot him sooner. Either way, we were all blessed by hearing and seeing lots of neat things out in God’s nature while walking that day!
Lessons...and lessons 