Under The Tree

We had bits of a hurricane's body pass over us within the past twenty-four hours.  We were fortunate in that the rain wasn't too torrential and the winds were on the very mild side for those of a hurricane.  In addition, the weather was clement, improved so in temperature by the onslaught of the rain.  In short, it was nice outside if you're of the sort who likes rain. 

I love weather.  I use the word 'weather' in the broadest of senses, encompassing all sorts of varieties included therein.  I love all the seasons and each of the different kinds of weather they bring.  I could do with a little more snow in the winter, but we live in a location just far enough south that large winter storms are infrequent.   In general though, I like it all.   

Yesterday's weather started out with mild rain in the afternoon.  My son had gone outside and the dog was in the front yard.  When I went out to ask him something, the dog did that bit where she frantically looks for a stick or pinecone hoping to have a game of fetch.   I let her off the leash, grabbed a stick and took shelter under the mid-sized tree in our front yard that has made itself larger each year since being planted ten years ago when we built the house. 

My son was out in the rain, not minding a bit about getting wet.   As I stood under the tree, sheltered from the rain while the dog brought the stick back for subsequent rounds of fetch I was reminded of my childhood, standing in the rain under trees.   

It was a magical thing: to be standing in your yard in the middle of a rain shower and yet be protected from the falling droplets by the canopy of the tree.   Eventually, when the tree became saturated, water would fall off the leaves and land in irregular blobs on your body, but for the beginning of the shower at least, you'd be safe.  

The mild rain continued and shortly my son was joined by my daughter as well as Rayan and Keira from two houses over.   The rain didn't seem to impact their play at all as they made requests for certain things from the craft room they knew were there but weren't allowed to have without permission.   I went and got some children's rings of varying materials shapes and colors which they added to their game, saying one ring was the ring of nourishment (it had a bunch of grapes on it) while a second ring was the ring of lightning (it was of silver in tone).  Rings were handed out, powers were granted or claimed, and I went back inside as the rain was picking up. 

A short while later the rain grew more intense, coming down in a mild downpour.  I heard yelps and screams from the back yard and looked out to find all four of them in the trampoline together.   It has been months since the children have been in the trampoline together.  Most children that would come over haven't been over at all.  A few children can knock on the door and ask if they can jump.  They're only allowed to jump with each other (siblings).  For the most part, the trampoline sits empty but yesterday afternoon in the downpour we judged it as safe as could be reasonably expected so they all got in together. 

From my window I took videos of the four children squealing, yelling, jumping and laughing.   I messaged Lisa, Rayan and Keira's mother, who was watching from her window as well.   It was a joyous thing, seeing the children have so much fun in the rain.   We both remembered being in the rain as children, having little concern for getting wet.   We were both smiling as we watched our children, and in a way, wishing we could be young again with the innocence of childhood, jumping on a trampoline in the rain 

The Big Boy Update:  My son loves seltzer water.   My husband and I drank a good bit of it a year or two ago but now he and I have moved to water and unsweet tea.   My son picked up the fad.  I try to get interesting flavors for him when I go shopping.  After the rainstorm and trampoline jumping yesterday the children came in and wanted to get warm (and we wanted them to get clean) so they got in the tub.   My son was lounging back in the tub and randomly said to us, "I think I am the least likely in this house to get dehydrated because I drink so much seltzer water.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter and I went on a playdate at the park Sunday with Adeline and beforehand my daughter rather uncharacteristically wanted to look nice.  Typically, she doesn't care what she's wearing, if her hair is brushed or anything else about her appearance.  On Sunday she divided her hair into three sections and braided three pigtails, one on each side and one in the back.   She got a bracelet that made jingly sounds and put it on her wrist and then found her special necklace that has "MUNCHKIN" stamped in braille on a plate of steel that Shane gave to her.   She even put bows in her hair.  I told her she looked lovely.