As it turns out, my gardens are definitely getting turned up and ready for planting, but it's not me doing the digging! My sweet little baby has decided that as a 1 year old he's now too big to sit at Mama's feet while his sisters run wild in the yard, and he's decided that the last garden box in the row is his for the playing! As soon as we get to the yard he makes a bee-line for it. Sometimes he pauses near my chair just long enough to sit down and take of his shoes and socks before continuing on his way. It makes me so happy!
He couldn't care less that he'll get dirty, and he certainly doesn't complain about the bath later. (I swear that boy is part fish!) He loves to squish it, loves to dig it, loves to run his hands through it, and of course, loves to hold it over his head...and drop it. He comes in looking like one big ball of dirt, but with the biggest smile. I kid you not, nothing else keeps that boys attention for long, he's always on the go, but he will sit in that garden box for an entire hour with a little shovel and just dig and play!
Despite being the only boy, he's not the first of my kids to love the dirt. The first summer we had a garden I'd often find Lissy and Gwyn sitting at the edge playing in the mud. I remember going out one of the first days after we'd tilled the spot for the garden and Lissy laid herself down in the middle of it and tried to make snow angels in the dirt.
As much as I'm grateful for technology (and we use it often), I'm also so grateful for these outdoor experiences. The love of nature that these kids have and the imagination that runs wild at the sight of a rock or a stick still amazes me nearly seven years after starting this journey of motherhood. These are the memories I want them to have. These are the moments I hope stick with them and shape them forever. The lesson: simplicity. You don't need a million toys or gadgets to have fun or be entertained. There's magic in nature and the ability to nurture your imagination. Sunshine helps things grow: flowers, food, children, and your appreciation for the little things in life.
