Wigwams in the Woods and other Freetime Activties

The forest never stops giving...

This is the one I built!

I just need to add one more branch...

The kids went out one afternoon to the backyard, or better known as the forest, to construct their own village.  I just finished reading, "The Tanglewoods' Secret," by Patricia St. John, out loud to the children.  In the book, the siblings had built a wigwam in the forest.  One day they found a stubborn young boy inside their fort of sticks and couldn't get him to come out.  We laughed and cried through the book.  O.K.  I cried.  It was a great read and very well written. 

Is this really a teeter totter?

Yes, it's a teeter totter!  While burying some wire for the dog's fence, my son found this concrete yellow curb in the brush!  Whoever put it there, I'll never know!  That four wheeler came in handy for pulling it right out!  Slap on a 2X4 and you've got a mini teeter totter.    The dog thought we'd pulled out a giant bone just for him... do you see him gnawing?

When I first suggested making a teeter totter out of it, my husband looked at me like I was crazy and said, out of that?!  That would be dangerous, it's way too heavy!  I couldn't stop laughing.  We all laughed as we realized that we think so differently.

Playmates, at last! 

Our two youngest children are finding each other's company pleasant at last!  They have begun to realize that being friends is much funner than being selfish.  Although, in the very next moment they could forget and give in to the, "Me, Me, Me Bear."  "He will catch you, and snatch you and tell you not to share, so Be Ye Ware of the Me, Me, Me Bear!" 

We enjoy the moments of play and sweetness and correct the moments of selfishness and life is good, and we are blessed to partake of God's good wisdom found in the Bible for training up children. 

Look at all these twigs!

Squeeze on a little hot glue...

 The girls have been making twig doll furniture for their doll house as well as little curtains and decorations.  They have been very industrious in this way and very creative.  Their dolls aren't out shopping and trying on clothes in their spare time.  Their dolls go hike in the woods and explore the beach and take in people in need and provide for their food, clothing, and shelter sort of needs.  I love it!  I love hearing them act out in play what is important in life.  It blesses me beyond measure to know that they are learning so much more than I realize.  It blesses me and scares me all at the same time... we can't re-do parenting but we can change and grow as we walk with Christ.  Praise God for his mercy and grace in our lives!

Just in case, people think I'm against shopping.... I took my oldest daughter out shopping two days ago and had a wonderful time.  We went to "Once Upon A Child," to purchase P.J.'s and T-shirts for the two littlest members of our family as well as some thick cotton tights and a tub of giant blocks for playtime. 

Then it was off to Barnes and Nobles for a birthday book and notepad for relatives and a decaf coffee with whip cream in a special cup with a hot sleeve!  This was the high light of our outing as my daughter carried it around like a trophy!  We walked down the side walk and popped into a shoe store to just take a peek.  My daughter spilled some coffee on her hand and arm and on one of their leather seats.  I calmly told her that I had a tissue just for the occasion and we cleaned everything up together, not batting an eyelash at our little mishap.  We decided we didn't need any shoes but could appreciate the artistic flare and leave them all there as we headed for the last store, "Old Navy." 

We breezed through the isles, appreciating the soft fabric.  We both found the music annoying to the point we could hardly think and had a good laugh over that one.  We grabbed some cotton shirts and leggings and headed for the grocery store because we knew our time was spent and wanted to get home to cooking dinner and enjoying family.   We spent a very pleasant afternoon together enjoying each other's company. 

I just now realized that the first true stop of that afternoon was the hospital.  I took my daughter to have an ultrasound and E.K.G done of her heart.  She'd had a continued fast heart rate and problem's breathing earlier in the week and the week previous.  We're not sure what caused it.  We'll hear back later next week from the Doctor.  There's nothing we can do to change some results.  What will be, will be but what we can change is our attitude. 

We can set aside fears, disappointments, regrets and bitterness and truly find joy in the small moments of daily life.  I choose life and I choose to enjoy every moment, even the difficult ones because I know I'm here for eternity and so are all those that belong to Jesus Christ. 

Thank you God for giving us all the gift of life whether we all acknowledge it or not!