Trees

Today I'm thankful for beautiful trees, and children who love them.

I've been fully enjoying the Fall colors this year.  After a number of years in Texas, I had forgotten how surprising and vivid the colors can be in other parts of the country.  It really is lovely, though I can tell that it is happening very quickly now, and I feel some anxiety around the fact that they will be gone before I enjoy them properly.  The same feeling I get looking at the kids, I suppose.

Natalie and Owen are suddenly obsessed with a certain tree in the yard that Natalie discovered she could climb.  I think it started out as a fun little "oh, look what I can do" climb, but turned into an obsession after a group of neighborhood boys stood around the tree and demanded that she "give them a turn."  Apparently it is the ONLY tree in the neighborhood that is remotely climbable, at least according to these boys.  Natalie refused to come down, saying it was HER tree.  Her determination made me smile.  They eventually gave up.  The tree now has a Welcome mat at the bottom (kind of ironic, that), and various baggies and strings hanging from it's branches, including a string on which to paperclip mail that is to be delivered to Natalie or Owen.  They asked to have pizza delivered to the tree, and if they could sleep in it.  Surprisingly, Natalie is completely fine with Owen being in the tree, and gives him a boost if he needs it.

If I can piggyback one more bit of gratitude on this post, I'm also thankful that my kids are showing an interest in photography.  I suggested many times over the summer that they could use a camera, but I guess it needed to be their idea.  Natalie took the great picture of Owen in "their tree."  And Liam asked to use my camera on a walk in the woods the other day, and he had some great shots as well.

Monkey girl.

Photo taken by Natalie.

Photo taken by Liam.