While I absolutely love to create wonderful whimsical creations in the shop, I truly love to do things with my family, from the youngest to the oldest. Each day is so precious and goes by so quickly.
Each morning as I come out of our room into the house I can hear Henry , getting ready for his busy day. No matter what he might be involved with, when he sees me he immediately exclaims TRACTOR! (pronounced in his unique 1.5 year old dialect) He then bids a cheerful goodbye to whomever he might be interacting with and makes a beeline (at a full run) to the mud room and finds my shoes and two of my hats. One hat is for me, the other for his head. We then go find the lawn tractor and head out of the yard, down the street to the bakery. On the way we take the time to pick some weeds to feed the neighbour’s goats. It is our tradition to buy a fresh baked muffin for Grandma. Henry insists on paying the clerk serving us (with grampa’s money) tossing a few coins in the tip jar and then carrying Grandma’s muffin all the way home and to her bedside. We tiptoe quietly for she’s most often still asleep. With that chore done he bids me a cheerful goodbye as I head off to work in the backyard shop. We go for another tractor ride at lunch and again after work of course, and feed the neighbour’s goats some more weeds each time.
I learned so long ago when our kids were small that it is so important to take the time do things with them for they are young for such a short time. No matter how wrapped up I get in my creations I’ve learned to take time regularly to do ‘ordinary’ things with those I love. I’ve learned that my work will always be there and I can always go back to it later if I need to. The kids grow up too fast and are too soon gone.
