We've had a lot of dreary weather of late. Saturday was yet another very cold and damp day, and in between errands and chores the children conspired to plaster our kitchen windows with countless paper snowflakes. I absolutely love it. Part of what I love - and am, frankly, a bit unsettled by - is that they did it nearly all by themselves. They are so very capable.
A couple of days beforehand, I showed them this apparently foolproof technique for creating gorgeous paper snowflakes. We folded and cut one batch together. I said something vague about glitter enhancements before being distracted by our little Mama-barnacle Beatrice (pick me up Mama, pick me up!) and when I came back to the kitchen table Frances and Gabriel were working on a pile. Each time they unfolded and discovered a new one I'd hear them ooo and ahh, and occasionally run to find me and show me the latest. Look at this one, Gabriel would exclaim, can you believe it?! Come see Didi's, it's so amazing!
Their enthusiasm was infectious and when I said they could cover the windows they were delighted.
On Sunday the sun came out. I tried to kick them outside but instead they invited our neighbor over to "make stuff" with them. She came running and the three of them cut and sewed and glued while I made guacamole and beans, sometimes looking up to admire the snowflake shadows slanting across the pink kitchen walls.
Frances is nine years old. She has become a new kind of child: more sophisticated, independent, funnier, steadier, kinder, and much less inclined to contradiction and defiance, especially around me. She is interested in peers, coolness, identity. I think it's all been marvelous for our relationship. She's also pointed out to me, quite reasonably (though this is not always communicated in a reasonable tone), that she has reached the age of consent when it comes to blogging. Even if I ask permission, I find writing about her is dangerous territory (see above concerns). So I have tried to avoid it, and tend to focus more on the person in the family who is not yet able to protest. But if I could, I would write and ponder more about Frances, my first born, my dear one, my complicated, mysterious, beautiful, sharp-minded girl.
And for good measure, a picture of some actual snow. Inclusion in photo of abovementioned girl is purely coincidental.
1 comment:
Love it. And you have inspired me to bust out the crafting supplies. In our all boy house, I do not think they are used nearly enough. But if I just lay them out to be discovered, who knows what could happen?!! :) Your snowy windows and sweet children are magical.
Xoxo
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