Life is Beautiful

After reading the Sunday paper, the fam headed to the pumpkin patch a couple days ago. CH really wanted to act like he was too grown up for the whole thing but at least he went along without copping an attitude. I think he even had fun in spite of his efforts. TT was in his element. He rode Peanut Butter the pony twice. He told us he picked PB because PB was the fastest one. PB was hooked up to one of those multi-pony circle things...

We walked through the corn maze. The farmer told us he sent his kids through every so often to find any lost people because there were 14 dead ends in the maze. Kind of like life. The maze was a wonderful study in family systems theory - TT assumed he was in charge throughout the maze and ran ahead to discover what was around the bend, CH amiably followed along without asserting his own desires to lead sometimes and he rested comfortably in living in personal indecision, the ever-logical C kept track of each twist and turn and probably knew where we were at exactly each step while also keeping track of which kid got to choose the next direction in the next fork in the road. And me, well it's always a bit strange (let alone impossible) to be objective about one's own role so I'll just tell you what I did. I brought up the rear, took pictures, savored the moments in my heart, and walked sometimes with one kid, sometimes with the other, and sometimes hand-in-hand with C. It amazes me how a corn maze can remind you about the important things in life if you let it.

After the corn maze, we headed to the animals - it always amazes me to watch TT interact with animals. This boy has a future with animals - my cool, serene cousin once suggested horse massage. She does it and thinks TT would be amazing in the field. TT could have spent all day feeding the chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, geese and ducks. He seemed to have an affinity for the ones who were most stressed out by the whole petting zoo concept. I loved watching this amazing gift shine brightly as he comforted animals and helped other kids notice animal subtleties.

We played in the "Iowa sandbox" - a huge 15 x 20 box full of corn. What a trip. Kids were burying themselves in the corn, scooping it up, throwing it...the whole sandbox deal.

We also laughed. C tried to steal CH's cotton candy and it became a fun game that got us all laughing. C and I watched the kids frolick and play. TT snapped this shot. I love it. I can't remember the last time I laughed heartily with C. What a gift.