My Mistake

For Valentine’s Day, the girls and I signed up for a little nature walk and project at Brookside Gardens.  The problem was, we went to the wrong building on the grounds.  By the time we figured that out I was winded and flustered. I had words with another elderly lady thus making me flustered, and I was winded from the three of us running to the wrong building.

We were getting out of the car when Marie Barone saw that Harper didn’t have a jacket on. “Oh my goodness,” she gasped, “she is going to be so cold!”

Here’s what I didn’t say. I didn’t point out that it it was 55 degrees out and Harper insisted on wearing both her blue jacket AND her “Diego” vest at the same time.  I didn’t say that this makes her very hot while she is in the car. I also didn’t say that I was being a proactive mother and preventing a screaming fit to “get this Diego vest off of me because I’m hot” tantrum while driving down 270. I figured the woman didn’t want to hear all that. Instead, I said this: “Ya think?  Because I was planning on taking them swimming in the pond over there later this afternoon.” I pointed to the body of water with ice chunks floating in it then said,  “But since you said they’d be cold I guess I better not.”

Marie “tsked” and walked away while we raced into the main building to find out this was not where the event took place.  The woman behind the desk told us it was in the next building over and gave me directions, and I was sort of listening, but I could see out the window behind her that ol’ Marie was stretching for what looked like a power walk around the gardens.  Good thing we’ll be on the other side of the park, I thought. I don’t want to run into her again.

As it turned out, we never made it to the right building, but we got to sit on a butterfly bench.

And look at an empty pool.

It was a beautiful day so we decided we’d walk around the gardens.  There are so many trails to wander and so many plants to wonder about.  You’d think with a place as large as this, we’d never see Marie Barone again, but lucky for us she passed by just as I took this picture.Hadley’s jacket was unzipped, and I don’t think Marie liked that too much.

In this picture, the girls heard a critter wrestling about in the trees, so they are taking cautious steps to see what it was.  Harper was hoping it was some sort of badger.  I was hoping it was a stick that was shifting from the wind.

We hung out in the greenhouse for awhile, too.  Lots of fun stuff in here.

When you can’t find the right classroom? When you say mean things to a stranger? When life hands you lemons? Take a picture of them.

(The lemons, not Marie Barone.  She wouldn’t like that I’m guessing.)

Here’s my new favorite flower:

Look at that thing!  I gasped when I saw it.  I could write a bunch of trite things about this flower, which is called a Powder Puff, but I’ll just say that it’s brilliant against all that green.  It pops, doesn’t it?  We’re walking around, noticing this and that, wondering about the fish in the little stream, lamenting about missing out on the planned activity, feeling like there is just too much green in this place and then there it is.  The Powder Puff.  A little reminder of the pizazz that comes with the tasks and responsibility of growing the flower.  Of making sure it has water, and sunlight, and whatever else it needs to be that beautiful.

As I was buckling the girls in the car, Marie walked by again.  I think she was on her third lap around the gardens.  Quite a power walker, this one.  I made eye contact with her and half smiled. I shouldn’t have been sarcastic with you, Marie.  But they’re my girls, and I usually know what I’m doing.  And when I don’t, I’m learning that it’s OK to figure it out as I go along.

When we got home, Hadley made this to show Jesse.

Happy Valentine’s, indeed.