The birds are back. I spotted a cheery little robin in our front yard one recent morning, and our walk to school has been made more lovely all this week by the sounds of the summer birds who have been returning one by one to our neighbourhood. Today I even had to stop my car on our street to let a pair of mourning doves finish crossing in front of me, and though I was in a hurry, I didn't at all mind waiting for them. These little feathered friends are such a welcome sight after the cold and quiet winter months; their songs make my heart feel light and free.
Losing the winter boots. Speaking of light and free, I decided this week that I didn't really care how cold it was outside, as long as it wasn't snowing, I was ditching my winter boots and donning some less cumbersome footwear. To walk in shoes after so many days and weeks of clomping about in heavy boots feels like cloud walking. Heavenly.
Frogs. Will came home from school one day this week with a backpack full of frogs. Not the living kind, thankfully (although I wouldn't put that past him!), but an origami kind that his teacher taught him to make out of colourful paper and that actually jumps when you press on its back. It was a fun surprise to see all of those frogs come spilling out of Will's school bag, along with his excited stories about how much he had enjoyed making them. And because Will is such a great little teacher himself and showed me step by step how to do the folds, I now have a bright paper frog of my very own, too!
Sleep talking. Last night when I peeked in on Noah just before I went to bed, he suddenly bolted up in bed with his eyes still closed and told me he was looking for something. I played along (because Noah has a habit of talking in his sleep and the resulting conversations are usually pretty hilarious).
"What are you looking for?" I gently asked him.
"I'm looking for those things...." he muttered.
"What kind of things?"
"The things that go on your hands."
"Mitts?"
"No.... those things for your hands... um...."
"Gloves? Are you looking for your gloves?"
"No, the things you put on your hands to make them go faster. Oh, you know, those things.... why can't I think of the word right now?"
"It's okay, Noah -- I don't think you need anything for your hands right now. Why don't you lay back down and go to sleep, okay?
"Okay."
These late night chats give a pretty fascinating peek at some of the stuff going on in Noah's brain (is he working on an invention to make his hands somehow work faster?!), and I always make a point of remembering them and telling Noah about them in the morning, because he thinks what he says is funny. As usual, this morning he did remember having bits of this conversation with me as part of some dream he was having that completely made sense to him at the time, and we all had a good chuckle over it at breakfast.
Easter bread. I received a surprise package in the mail yesterday. As soon as I pulled the parcel out of the mailbox I could smell the wonderfully familiar scent of anisette wafting towards my nose, and sure enough, when I gently opened the lid, inside I found a loaf of my Grandma Deresti's special homemade Easter bread, and several of her delicious genettis. I could feel my Grandma's love pouring out of this very thoughtful gift she sent us all the way from Sault Ste. Marie, and thinking of her and of "home" made me feel warm and happy.
Here's wishing all of you an Easter weekend filled with moments that make you smile. :)