My Greatest Treasures

Durango posted the cutest blog about Annie BoFannie today, and as I read it, I smiled and chuckled, he has such a way with words. When Annie had read about the Tandy Hills she was immediately taken with the idea of creating her own little prairie. She pleaded with me not to cut the tall grass in our empty lot next to our home, and I complied with her wishes. I cut trails to the fire pit we use for weenie roasts and out to the water well and back to the pet cemetery. We watched the grasses grow tall and fell in love with the golden plume it produced. Little yellow and purple and orange flowers popped up, butterflies abounded; it was truly quite a sight to behold.

Nearing Winter, it was time to do the prairie proper, so Saturday and Sunday the kids and I spent the day cutting grass, picking up trash and weed eating. Annie watched me sullenly from the trampoline in our back yard as I cut the tall grasses. I could tell she was already missing her prairie, but she understood that soon we would till the ground in order to get it ready for the Spring.

It's a strange mix for me, watching one of my kids start driving and dating girls, while the other is still exploring her world and forging her identity. Justin no longer plays with army men in the backyard, but instead plays with big boys on the Grid Iron. He's preparing for his first solo road trip next summer up the West Coast, mapping his route and making some tough decisions about who he'll be taking along for the ride.

Annie is just starting to hang out with friends at the playground, pick out her own clothes and make her own lunches. Tonight as she was packing her lunch, she asked me if she could pack some extra food. Of course I said she could, but then asked why. Seems there's a new girl at school, who didn't have lunch money and the ladies in the cafeteria provided her with a peanut butter sandwich. Annie didn't think the girl liked peanut butter seeing she only ate half the sandwich.

I'll have to tell ya, that my eyes teared up a bit as I observed Annie carefully select foods she thought the little girl would like. Cheese sticks, yogurt, fruit juice, Sun chips, bread and turkey slices were placed in the lunch pail. And what I've always hoped would grow in my children has come to fruition, that when they see a need or something that should be done, that they would take the time to fulfill that need.