We've had some sweet Mouse-isms around here lately.
1. The other day, Sunny woke up asking for her blanket. Daddy couldn't find it; Mommy was on a run. Miss Mouse apparently leaned over and offered Sunny one of her very special blankies since Sunny's "must be in the dryer". Sunny soundly rejected the offer, earning herself a discussion about how to be polite when a sister is offering assistance, and Miss Mouse earned much praise for her ability to share and give, even something dear to her heart.
2. Tonight as we were cuddling before bed, Miss Mouse smiled at me and said, "I'm so glad you're my mama. I really wanted a mommy named Mama." How I hope she never changes that thought. As often as I wanted to push boundaries with my parents (not big stuff - i.e., wanting to see PG-13 movies prior to age 13 or R movies before age 17...didn't really happen; wanting to drive to the 'big city' with friends at age 15, 16, 17...didn't happen; wanting certain brands of clothes...didn't happen), I never wanted them to be people they weren't; I was always proud to have them around, even at my high school events; I would have loved for my Mom to be able to have chaperoned more trips than they were financially able to have her chaperone; I've always been so glad to have been my parents' daughter, my sister's sister, my grandparents' granddaughter, my uncles' and aunts' niece, my in-law's in-law,....And I hope that Mr. T and I have that type of relationship with these Mice as they grow.
3. This one came from Sunny. She was attempting to break into her older sister's diatribe the other day and was not getting very far. Finally I heard her shout, "I am TWYING to be youw fwend!!!" I intervened at that point, and we all had yet another conversation about how to converse. I was pretty proud of my smallest one to have been able to put her emotions and thoughts together enough to pull out a phrase like that, though, when she was so very irritated and frustrated!
I don't have many words for these pictures. I don't think they need many. We were privileged enough to spend the day with Grammy and Grandpa Bob and to meet up with a dear friend at a reenactment-style event where the girls were allowed and welcomed to fully participate in the activities. There are days I have to pinch myself to be sure I'm not dreaming; these days are so good.
Perhaps starting a new fashion trend? Blending the contemporary with the definitely-traditional.
Miss Mouse spent a large chunk of her afternoon washing clothes by hand. The most modern thing was the glass washboard, for which I was thankful. She and my friend had to chase down dirty laundry in the pie-baking area to keep her dirty laundry pile well-supplied. The ladies making pie over Dutch ovens in a fire pit were more than happy to supply the needed soiled aprons and dish clothes. I spent most of the afternoon marvelling at the inter-generational activity that went on so naturally. There was no separate area for children, save the hourly games that were played; the little boys chased frogs; some little girls helped. Other little girls smacked each other's faces, and their aunts working by their sides, with flour from pie crust and added finishing touches of cherry juice.
She's serious about her job.
Evidence of a hard day's work
I love thinking about a day where this was an astoundingly advanced technological breakthrough. I'm thankful to have come home to a central air conditioned home, but I'm thankful, too, for the opportunity to show our Mice what a community working together looks like, how life and work really were back in the "good ol' days", and for the chance for them to be enveloped into a group of people of all ages working together.
