Oh the laughter...

With the warmer weather comes beautiful adventures.  Strawberry picking, water slides, outdoor play dates with friends, dancing in the rain, driveway bumper cars and little train rides.  The Brownies have experienced many adventures this first week of May.  And let's not forget the lessons we can learn from our own community.  This past weekend our local park sponsored the little train rides and an American History live fair.  Train rides, real horses, real Indians and REAL TORTURE!  That's right...The Brownies discovered and explored what it was like to live back in the day when soldiers camped in tents on wood beds with quilts, leather goods that had been transformed from animal hide and women wearing long dresses and bonnets.  Boys being boys, the Brownies found the most appealing...well, a picture is worth a thousand words.  Once in this contraption, the solider explained that this was a source of humiliation.  Townspeople would generally spit, hit and slap you while you did your time for a number of petty crimes.  Crimes that include stealing, lying and not paying your taxes.  The boys thought this was so cool.  We visited the horses.  Big Brownie has a weak stomach by nature, so the smell of the horse droppings almost made him lose his breakfast.  Little Brownie thought they were "AWWWESOME"!

While putting this post together, I remember how much fun it is to have the Brownies and watching them grow.  Hearing them talk to each other, correcting each other and loving each other.  It makes my heart sing to hear them show kindness and love and to hear the laughter.  The kind of laughter that is from the belly that is uncontrollable and rolls up like thunder.  The looks on their faces as this laughter explodes.  The kind I hear in my head and giggle when no one is around.  They don't seem to fight that often, but when a disagreement ensues, I am comforted to know that "I'm sorry" and forgiveness is near.   What memories I hope they will have locked tight in their souls.  So much glory watching them discover and learn.  Impromptu play in the creek, running in the rain, driveway bumper cars.  The simple moments of joy and laughter.

And at the end of the day, with all the fun abound, I am overjoyed to hear, "Mama, this has been the best day ever!"  Could it be that tomorrow will bring another adventurous morning, afternoon or evening.  I hope it does.  I pray it does.  I know it will.