The Calm before the Storm

The midwest has endured a rough storm season this spring. We've experienced several storms, and much water here in southern Indiana, and tonight is no exception. Tornado and storm warnings abound.

It's my own kind of storm at school. Trying to wrap up this year and wrap my mind around the fact that I will have almost three times the students next year. It's a hectic week, always is. Still, I picked up Bean and Bugg and headed home this afternoon, wondering if we'd get any play time before scary weather presented itself.

As is his custom, Bean wanted a swing and a story. He had even drawn a picture of me swinging him with a speech bubble indicating a story. I scanned it, but couldn't size it to fit here. So cute. It was the American Revolution today.

After the story he asked if I had any honeysuckle, so I took Bugg and him over to the big patch in the side woods. They were thrilled. I putzed around pulling weeds and such and when I returned, they had stopped pinching and sipping and were instead collecting. Bugg said they were picking blossoms for a Honeysuckle Picnic. Bean added, "Could we have something to put on the ground and maybe some other things?" So I went in and grabbed a sheet, some cheese and a box of crackers. He found some juice to his liking in the pantry and brought that out as well.

I just handed them the things and they made their own decisions about where to put their picnic. I sat on the rocking chair on the porch and simply relished the calm. It is restorative to me, watching little ones take a few simple things and make a grand time of it. Bugg didn't finish until she polished off the honey from every last blossom in that pile of blooms.

We talked about the way fairies use honeysuckles for their honey pot. I told them I imagined their honeysuckle patch housed a fairy abode or two, and I would be on the look out.

Such fun.

I spent the remainder of the evening cooking up some goodies for my Handy Man, who celebrates his birthday tomorrow. Butterscotch dessert for breakfast. The man likes his sweet stuff. Russian egg salad on rye in his lunch. Bbq'd ribs for supper. He'll be a happy handy man which makes me smile.

Now, to unplug this before the storm.