pink pajama mama

I have been wanting to take Henry and Annabelle to toddler time at the Native Earth Teaching Farm for years. We’ve never made it.  Usually our mornings are very slow and lovely. The kids completely disappear in their own play worlds in the morning and I absolutely love making them something warm and delicious–pancakes, oatmeal, english muffins. This morning I had a double whammy of delight and made pancakes AND chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. I then dressed each child (a lot like trying to capture seals in the water) and finally made it to the car at 10:10 am( toddler time started at 10). I tried to coerce George into coming by saying we’d only be an hour. He disappeared back inside the house, and I figured he wasn’t coming, so I backed out of the driveway, only to see him running out of the house, one leg in his pants, trying to flag me down. There are only three main roads on the island–North, South, and Middle. Still, I managed to get lost. Annabelle sighed and I said, “Annabelle, it’s not about reaching our destination. Getting lost is really fun. That’s when you really find magic!” ”I know, Mom,” she replied. “I’m just tired of being lost.”Luckily, the roads we were on were staggeringly beautiful. We finally made it to the Farm, and we were the only car there. George started to laugh. He usually doesn’t do well with things like getting lost or arriving somewhere to find it closed, but today, he rolled with it.The farm was so picturesque. We were immediately drawn to a handsome little Billy Goat named Joey. This goat had the most gorgeous beard I’ve ever seen–long, think, lustrous, clean. I asked the farmer, Rebecca, who also had a beard, if she brushed the goat’s beard or if he took care of it. She said he took care of it on his own. (I couldn’t help but picture him with a hand mirror and a moustache comb). She said he didn’t like to get it wet and he would run into his little house at the first sign of rain. Incredible. As I watched Rebecca talk, I was awestruck by her utter lack of vanity–her full beard, her braless boobs swaying under her layers of farm clothes… One might think I’d let go of some of my own vanity in the face of such earthiness, but one would be wrong. I thought that gorgeous beard was wasted on a goat and would look much better on me–not as a beard of course, but as hair. We saw all sorts of amazing animals. Henry was especially delighted by the butting heads of the pygmy goats, and I loved the exotic white royal turkeys. I’ve never seen such beautiful turkeys! THey looked like marshmallow snow birds! They’re endangered and the farm is trying to breed them and help bring them back. Annabelle had a verbal exchange with another billy goat, a black one named Blackberry. He would make a mooing sound and she would make it back to him. This went on for sometime until she finally said, “This goat doesn’t know how to baa very well.”On the way home, we stopped for a little picnic at Alley’s. There was a darling weeping tree that Annabelle turned into her house. “That boy can come in here,” she said. “That boy Henry?” I asked. “Yes, that boy,” she said. Henry came trotting over and she swept aside the branches and said, “Come in, Darling, welcome to my house.” They held hands and sat down, and when Henry got up to leave a few minutes later, she said,  ”Sir! Gentlemen can’t leave until they help up all the ladies sitting down!” Henry obliged by offering his hand, helping her up. “Oh thank you Darling,” she said, grabbing his head and kissing it.George looked at me. “Where does she get this stuff?” “I have no idea,” I replied. 

So, tonight I had a terrible headache. Sometimes hot water helps, so I sunk into a deep tub of hot water and was lying there when my little monkey, Henry, came traipsing into the bath with a big smile. He wanted to come in, and was completely delighted when I lifted him in with me. “I tooted,” he said immediately. But no, he didn’t toot. No, that would be too simple. He actually popped in the tub. My relaxing hot bath turned into a mad escape scene. I leapt out of the tub and pulled Henry behind me, like we were refugees from Poopland. “Poop? Poop?” he said, pointing into the tub. I let all the water out of the tub, scoured and disinfected it, and lo and behold, the hot water was gone. I dried off and Henry and now Annabelle spent the next hour frolicking in a lukewarm bath.Annabelle and I had been discussing what we should get George’s mother for Mother’s Day. I was suggesting a massage or a pair of flannel pajamas for New Hampshire and Annabelle shouted, “No! No massage, no pajamas! I want to get her something she really wants, like a glass toy! Something she can play with!”She definitely has her own ideas, the little diva! 

Today we had the most idyllic day in Utah. It started out crazy as we overslept. Henry, Annabelle, and I slept until 9am!! And then we raced out the door to my sister’s to babysit her 3 and 4 year olds, Zoe and Watson so she could exercise. We made bluberry muffins–they loved the tops–and then they jumped on the trampoline and chased butterflies around Marlise’s lush yard. Her yard is stunningly beautiful with acres of emerald green lawn, towering pine trees and the most fantastic pink trees–magnolias and weeping cherry trees. There’s a whole pink section and when the wind blows, it rains delicate pink blossoms! So, you’re surrounded by pink and walking on pink, and there are butterflies everywhere. A monarch even landed on me!!Magic!!It was just completely perfect to lay on the trampoline, the sun  on my back, and watch these beautiful children running around the yard, chasing butterflies, screaming with delight, pretending Zeus, Marlise’s bulldog, was a dragon. I just kept thinking to myself, does life get any more perfect than this? I did, however, have to remind Annabelle and Zoe not to kick Henry and Watson. “But we need them to be our audience, Mom!” said Anabelle. “You can ask them politely to be your audience. You don’t need to kick them!” I replied.They asked, the boys complied, and they performed the number “Sisters” from White Christmas with Bing Crosby. Marlise came home from mountain biking and we all jumped in the pool. More perfect moments as I was holding my totally delighted naked baby, the skinny dipping Henry, and watching the other three munchkins kick around in their floaties. Next stop, the hot tub. I SOOOOO need a hot tub!! Totally sublime to sink into the hot water. Marlise says she feels like the Grinch slinking and slunking into various pools of water every day. Her teenagers came home and in their teenage goofiness, had bought speedos and wore them with crazy hats and played the ukulele’s and served us punch while we lounged in the hot tub with the little ones. From there, it was nap time for Henry and cookie baking time for the rest of us. WE made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, then all traipsed like a parade over to the swing and slides. Henry sat in the sandbox wearing sunglasses for a long time, and Annabelle experimented with all the new things she’s daring to do–slides, climbing, swinging. I heard her telling Zoe to sit down so she could tell her a story since she(Annabelle) was an old grandma.  She was wearing a nightgown and a pink hat. She loves to play dress-up with Zoe and they must have changed outfits 8 times today.Finally, we had to leave as we were nearing bedtime. We were worn out and blissfully happy. I have to say we have such a beautiful life. Thank you to George for working so hard to give us such a beautiful life.And we’re ready to do it all again tomorrow.