Page 28 - LIfesOuttakes1

Through The Eyes Of Children l It was springtime, and my two youngest daughters had been cooped up in the house all winter and were anxious to get out every chance they could. They were born after we thought we were done having children, and they have complicated our household in many wonderful ways. They have also colored our lives with a tapestry of awareness that we should have had with our other children, but did not always have. I helped them put their sweaters on, for even though it was May, it was still chilly. Each of them put a hand in mine and we stepped outside for an educational walk through the garden, as I planned to show them the many wonders of spring. The first sign of spring we came upon were the wild roses that bloom along the ditches and canals near our house. Their fragrance filled the air with a scent that tingled the nose. My two-year-old, Elliana, pointed to them. “What are those?” she asked. Before I could answer, her four-year-old sister, Heather, responded. “Those,” she said, “are called noses. They are called that because they smell so good. But be careful because those sharp things on them are called pokies.” A large orange and black Monarch butterfly landed on the bushes next to us. Heather pointed to it. “Oh, look, Elli, it’s a flutterby.” As we stood there watching the ‘flutterby’, a flock of geese noisily winged its way north in formation above us. Heather pointed to them. “Those are called gooses. The noise they make is honking.” Elliana looked impressed with her big sister’s knowledge. “Why are they honking?” she asked. 23