Sticks

After Sunday School, Koko found a big stick outside. When her friend informed her that it was his and that he had left it there, she looked at me sorrowfully and said, "I want that stick." His mom asked him to let her have a turn and so she did, but then had to return it to him. She then watch ed silently and longingly as he played with dirt with it.

I showed her other sticks, but she was not appeased because they were all comparable thinner and smaller than his. When we parted company with her friend, she was not in a good mood. I tried to comfort her, but inside I was thinking, "It's just a stick!"

Then she found the stick. Much bigger than the previous and reminiscent of Moses' staff. And she had fun walking with the stick. But then she didn't want to go home even though it was time for lunch. And frankly, I was tired.

She did go home but threw a terrible tantrum. (In retrospect, would it have been terrible to delay lunch a bit and play? Or have lunch outside? Sometimes I'm so stuffy.) After lunch, we went back outside and she spent a hour digging holes here and there. And then she forgot all about the stick. Go figure.

But it was fun watching her dig for worms and look for new places to poke her stick with. I'm an urban coach potato who hates the sun, but I enjoyed watching my daughters' shining faces explore dirt and get excited about worms.