Something's In My Shoe

E got her first sandals last week, a cute little pair of Teva's. In theory, she likes them...she asks to wear them every day. But in reality she is still breaking them in...I don't think they're very comfortable. Yesterday we went to Chipmunk Story Time at the nature center down the road, and she wanted to wear her new "saddles." Between the car and the building we had to stop twice to remove her saddles and brush sand, rocks, and pine needles off the bottom of her feet. Wow, I thought. This is going to be one long hour.

Thankfully, the excitement began as we walked through the door, and she forgot her uncomfortable feet in a flash. Mr. Brian (or "Mr. Uncle Brian," as E would call him) gave each kid a carpet square to sit on, and then he read Jump Frog Jump and Possum and Peep. Then he showed them a tree frog and a green frog in little containers...E listened, waited her turn, sat quietly. It was a nature center miracle.

After the stories we went outside to the frog pond, where we spotted three green frogs sitting in the rocks. Then to the field where the real fun started...Mr. Uncle Brian passed out party blowers to imitate frog tongues, and started up a bubble maker. He yelled, "Catch the flies! Get them! Quick! They're getting away!" So fifteen kids were hopping around, laughing and trying to catch bubbles with their party tongues. We are SO going to try this one at home...maybe even this afternoon.


After the flies were all popped, we all went on a nature walk. E put her blower away, paid attention to the rules, and followed the group into the woods. When we fell behind to remove a pebble from her sandal, her plan to catch up was, "I'm going on a nature run!" When Mr. Uncle Brian told the group to go quietly through the pine forest, E tiptoed and whispered so she wouldn't scare the wildlife. We heard a peewee calling, and saw some beautiful purple wildflowers. I can only hope we have more summer mornings like this one. I wonder how much they pay Mr. Uncle Brian over there...if he makes housecalls, I'll offer him double.