Pretentious?  ha!  This girl has zero shame. She has nothing to prove to the world.  She is.  She just is.  I aspire to be like her.

A lover.  A healer.

Out in about, I am constantly held up because Cora has struck up a conversation with a passer by-er.  While Ender and I are debating and discussing why he should get this particular toy or snack, Cora is collecting a following of friends behind our shopping cart.  As Ender strategizes his next move I turn my attention to Cora and her new friend.

Its mostly cooing and waving.  Usually, they have made their way across the store to connect with her.  Because she caught their eye in the cereal isle, they met her at the check out line.

"She smiled and waved at me", they tell me.
"She looked into my eyes"
"She made my day"
"She is so happy"

When I was little, I entertained the idea of training my terrier to be a therapy dog.  I wanted to volunteer at a hospital or nursing home.  As it turns out, Shasta, didn't agree.

I have my therapy pup today though. 
Cora's spirit has touched so many stranger's lives.  People I would ignore, immediately judge, or hold a grudge against, she welcomes into her small and bright world.  She has no idea of their sins, of the darkness that could be held with in.  I lift my hands to God amazed.  Am I her mother?  I'm only an ignorant pilgrim who stumbled in the presence of an ancient sage. 

"What?!  She's whining and crying now?  She pooped her pants?  Let me grab the wipes.  Hold still Cora!"

Still a baby. 

Sassafras with Gigi

and with Grandma.

the Arborist

It was amusing, the way Zander obsessed over every detail of the young Velvet Mesquites we planted two February's ago. "Silly boy!" said I.  He poured over his library and internet research.  He wielded the small pruners like a Bonsai master.  He contemplated over the future of these trees.  He envisioned their role and purpose for our family and home.  He wanted them to bear pods for flour making, shade for the backyard, home for wildlife, and be aesthetically pleasing.  The way that boy fussed over these saplings. At first he made sure to tether them to stakes, giving them support as they bore the shock of their transplant into our yard.  Over time, he gradually loosened the tethers so the trunk and branches could flex against the wind and grow strong.  He made sure not to make erroneous cuts, structuring it mostly up.  But then he would noticed a unique branch that looked harmless, but interesting.  "Eh, we'll see what this guy wants to do.  It looks cool".  So he would leave it be and let it go on its natural way. His methods were his, not always/ever the prettiest, but always the most thoughtful. 

 

It dawned on me the other day.  He can't get away from his father's heart.  He is out there giving considerable thought to these trees and often stops to admire just how strong and beautiful they are becoming.   And so it goes with his children, his own little saplings.  He always carries with him  the pruners, knowing that every cut to a tree is a wound.  He doesn't use them without love and care.  He tethers Ender and Cora close to us, now, but is gradually loosening those so they too can flex against the winds and grow strong and confident. A breeze barely ruffles Cora's curls today, but eventually she could face a gale storm, but because of her daddy's tender and wise care, her roots will cement the ground she stands on and her strong body will bend but will not break.  They both will have that wild hair daddy let sprout, but will be mostly growing  up. 

I know our kids are getting the manliest of men to follow.  In one person, he packs patience, kindness, tenacity, confidence, humbleness, a genuine spirit, emotional and physical strength, adventuresome, love, hilarity, honesty, trustworthiness, faithfulness and eventually always a repentant heart.  He knows Whom he serves, so how easy is it for tiny people like Ender and Cora to feel safe and happy with their daddy.
Happy Father's Day to the legendary Zander.

Fathers Day Project Madness

Introducing three of the most obstinate, slap happy, independent, I'll do whatever I want- ers, wild punks!  I don't think my incessant shouting convinced them that the "photo shoot" was for a good cause.  Gunther's tail was suddenly the funniest floppiest appendage Ender had ever seen.  Cora constantly smells like old food (it gets stuck in the folds of her neck) so Gunther's brain was manically obsessed with trying to rid her of that problem.  My mom's iphone camera was helplessly slow in the nanosecond all three of them looked at the camera.  Oh and my poor, patient mother.  At the end of this Fathers Day photo session, all I wanted was to celebrate Mother's Day...again, every day, well...maybe, yeah every day.

*Special note to Zander:  this is not your Father's Day "clog" post.  relax, its coming

morning in the garden

 

 

Cora picks only the green ones and feeds them to Gunther, of course. 

I was disheartened to learn that mature sunflowers do not follow the sun. Their beautiful manes remained fixed to the east.  If they did trace the glorious star across the sky, their faces would burn.

Shortly after we took this photo, the snail shell slipped from clumsy fingers and shattered into unrepairable pieces.  Ender melted into an oblivion of tears.  This is one of the many reasons I haven't gotten the courage to go introduce ourselves to the new neighbors.   We air our dirty laundry. Lots of crying, yelling, scolding of both the kids and zander, barking back at Gunther, offensive jokes from Zander (I'm sure) and so on and so on.  I've tried to keep it cool, but at the end of the day in June in Phoenix.... I'm a hot mess.

Indoors.  One of the most frightening words for me to hear, let a lone be.  I'd much rather be outside all day long.  In a tree, on a walk, putzin around a garden.  But these days I'm indoors A LOT!  Naps, summer heat, no tree shade outside.  This summer I'm going to stop looking at my house as a house.  It is now our very secret hush hush hide out.  Basically, I am going to be asking my 9 year old self to babysit my kids.  Only very unruly things can come from this.  I don't think Zander is going to appreciate all the antics, but that makes it all the more fun.  Let the games begin!!