Oranges in the Trees
“What are we doing today at Mimi’s?” This is a question I hear often from Rowan and Eden and also, the neighborhood children. School is finished and summertime activities have begun at Mimi’s house. Warm weather is here and that means bubbles, water balloons, splash pads, science experiments, and more ways to have fun.
Last week, I found instructions on how to make a bird feeder with oranges, granola, popcorn, and peanut butter. You may wonder why I would choose such a sticky and messy activity. The laughter that filled the house and the smiles of Rowan and Eden were great prizes even as we made a huge mess in the kitchen.
Bop had purchased two oranges at the grocery store. One for our project and one to eat. Always being safe first, I cut the orange in the middle which gave a half for each child. With paper towels ready for clean-up and the kids standing where they could see everything happening with our project, we were ready for the activity to begin.
“Mimi, what are you doing? Why do you have an orange?” Five and ¾ years old Rowan spoke first.
“Mimi, orange?” Two years old Eden spoke next.
I began to explain how we would make granola from the ingredients and then, fill the orange halves. But, first I had to scoop the “pulp” out of the orange. What an experience! This particular orange was filled with major pulp. The more I scooped with the spoon, the more juice squirted all over the kitchen counter and onto our clothes and hands.
Giggles started. We all laughed at the mess Mimi was making.
Next, we needed granola bites and popcorn to be ground up a little bit smaller. Bringing out the blender, Rowan immediately asked if he could push the button. Eden knows blenders are loud. “It’s too loud, Mimi.” She spoke before I had plugged in the machine.
“No worries Eden. Rowan can push the button. We’ll cover our ears.” Eden instantly placed her little hands over her ears even though the machine wasn’t turned on yet.
When I added a couple of granola bites to the blender and secured the top, I told Rowan to push the button. He smiled and placed his finger on the pulser. With a few taps, we had granola to mix with the peanut butter.
All ears were uncovered and the blender was put in the sink to wash at a later time. Now we could mix the rest of the ingredients to make our homemade meal for the birds.
Reaching our hands into the bowl, we mushed and squeezed the peanut butter and granola together.
The giggles started as we noticed the icky and gooey mess sticking to our fingers. “Mimi, how are we going to get this stuff off?” Rowan inquired.
Eden looked at me and started to stick a little finger in her mouth so she could taste the bird treats. “Wait, Eden, wait. I’ll get you another snack. This one is for the birds.”
With a grin, she proceeded to wipe her messy fingers on her shirt.
The bird feeder treat was ready to spoon and place in the oranges. Bop had prepared the oranges with teeny holes in each side. We filled the oranges and gave them to Bop to hang in the tree.
A fun and simple, or maybe not so simple, activity that brought laughter and joy. A bit of a mess, but sometimes fun involves making a mess.
Later in the day, after the new bird feeders were filled and hung, Rowan, Eden, and I looked out of the playroom/office window. Downy woodpeckers enjoying the treats we had made for them.
Every day, we look for the birds. We’ve also had bluebirds visiting our homemade feeders.
What a joy to have fun projects! We learn and laugh together. Sometimes we get messy and that’s okay.
Have you enjoyed any homemade creations lately? Share with us. You may inspire others.
Blessings and giggles,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
“Come Back, Honey!”
Laughter and conversations can be heard in our neighborhood every day. In the morning, children and parents gather to wait for the yellow buses to arrive. After school has ended for the day and everyone is home, the time for fun begins. Happy children bring out bicycles, frisbees, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and more.
When Rowan and Eden visit, there are belly-holding giggles, surprises in conversation and actions, amazing stories of what happened at school, and yes, even some quiet time. All of these things provide wonderful opportunities for bonding and sharing the love of God.
Temperatures have warmed in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and outside play is a wonderful way to burn off energy and have fun. One of my favorite activities is playing with bubbles. Sometimes, I bring out the mixture and wands and enjoy the bubbles by myself. However, most of the time, neighborhood kids are playing, too.
Recently, two years old Eden and I were preparing to take the needed supplies outside. She carried wands of various sizes and shapes. I carried the large pink bottle of solution to pour into the circular pans.
With everything in place on two little plastic tables lined up on the sidewalk, we were ready to create fun shapes. Eden doesn’t like for “bugs” to get in the pans, so I have to be on the lookout to remove any creatures before she notices. Sticky fingers don’t bother me.
On that particular day and since then, every time I place my wand into the pan and cover it with the solution, Eden begins to laugh. As I raise my arm, the bubbles appear and dance in the air. She throws down her wand and runs to catch the different shapes flowing toward the sky.
Her energy is limitless, just like her brother Rowan. Her breathing is rapid and her eyes are opened wide as she laughs and jumps in the air to catch the clear circles. The excitement she shows over the simple act of running and chasing something flying through the air is truly contagious.
Along with running, she calls to the bubbles. I’m not sure where she learned this or why she talks to them, but she calls out, “Come back, honey. Come back, honey.”
Her sweet voice brings happy tears and tons of giggles to me as she tries to catch each one.
I’ve never called bubbles “honey” and I’ve never asked them to “Come back.” But, Eden has a plan and for some unknown reason, those bubbles are “honey”.
Bop and I are thankful we live close to Mike, Christine, Rowan, Eden, and doggy Olive. God has blessed us with many joys from this move. Five years in South Carolina and we continue to treasure each moment.
Have you played with bubbles lately? Or perhaps another fun outside activity with kids?
Be alert and listen. You might hear someone calling “Come back, honey.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NIV)
Have a blessed day,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
The Blanket Flashlight
A while back, I was startled by a toy lizard that our grandson Rowan had left under a couch cushion. That experience gave me laugh-out-loud, tummy-rolling giggles. Yesterday, I found something that granddaughter Eden had left as a surprise.
There are many wonderful ways to use our imagination. I love how the minds of children work and how joy can be found in the simplest things in life. Ideas are endless and creations can come from anything.
Filling the bathroom sink with water and adding toy sharks so we can pretend to be shark hunters, wrapping baby dolls in blankets and singing sweet songs so the babies can sleep, or pretending to be clowns, there is always something exciting happening at Mimi’s and Bop’s house.
Recently, Eden and I found flashlights, turned off all the lights in the hallway, and started making shadows on the walls. We created butterflies, birds, dinosaurs, and bunny ears. Giggles filled the air each time we shaped something new in the shadows.
Two years old Eden has definite opinions about things. After making shadows, she led me to the living room couch and said, “Sit, Mimi. Sit.” Of course, I listened and sat on the couch.
Eden held her flashlight and looked under the couch, behind the couch, and shined the light on the ceiling.
Then, as children often do, Eden found something else that sparked her interest. “Outside. Outside.” She was ready for a walk through the neighborhood. We would look for birds, ant hills, airplanes, friends, and more.
For our walk on that day, we each carried a baby doll. Eden said, “Shoulders.” That meant I was to put my baby doll on my shoulders. I complied and placed the doll in the right spot and we continued with our journey.
After the time outside, Eden and I went back to the house and found our drink cups and a snack. Putting our dolls on their blankets and kissing them on the cheek, we left them in the playroom and went to the living room.
The afternoon had arrived and a time of rest would be good for Mimi and Eden. We snuggled on the couch and watched a “show”. All was quiet. We didn’t take a nap, but we did have quiet time.
Later that evening, Eden left to go home and be with Daddy, Mommy, and Rowan. I decided to clean the house the next day.
After a good night of sleep, my energy returned. Thinking about all the items that Eden and I had used for play, I noticed one of the flashlights was missing. I searched in the playroom, the bedrooms, the dining room, and the kitchen. No flashlight.
I noticed a blanket on the couch that needed folding. Walking closer I caught a glimpse of a light shining from under the blanket.
Yes! The flashlight that Eden had been using had been left under the blanket. The light was still shining bright. The mystery had been solved. Sometimes we make tents out of quilts, towels, and blankets. We always need a flashlight inside the tent. This one was shining through the darkness and had been shining all night.
Flashlights remind me of the ways we can shine the light of Christ and help lead others to know Him. We need to replenish the batteries from time to time. God doesn’t need batteries. His light shines forever.
When the night seems long and darkness comes, trust in God.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV)
Have a blessed day,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
“Pretty”
“Turn round Mimi. Turn round. Pretty. Pretty.” Two years old Eden spoke and smiled as she turned around and around in a circle. She was wearing a skirt and loved watching the skirt move when she twirled. Eden wanted me to “turn round” like she was turning. I tried. Finally, I said, “Mimi can’t turn like you. I get dizzy.”
Each time that Eden moved her body, the fabric on her little purple and white skirt lifted. She giggled and announced, “Pretty. Pretty.” The more she twirled, the more she laughed. At one point, her movement showed that she was dizzy, too.
Eden and I continued to laugh. She wanted me to see her move. “Pretty. Pretty.”
I commented. “Yes, Eden, you are pretty. Very pretty.”
As the bond between Eden and Rowan grows, the love between brother and sister is evident. When Rowan is sad, Eden tries to cheer him with laughter and hugs. When Rowan and I view videos of Eden, he says, “She’s so cute. I love her.”
There are times when Eden likes to wear Rowan’s clothes. When Rowan arrives here from school, he often changes into “play clothes”. Rowan and Eden have a drawer of clothing at our house. Eden has learned to look for Rowan’s clothes and then, she wants to wear something of his. We laugh as she chooses shirts and pants that are too big for her. That doesn’t matter. Rowan is changing clothes and she is changing clothes, too, just like big brother.
A basket of hats, earmuffs, and scarves sits on a shelf in the hall closet. Sometimes, Rowan, Eden, and Bop and Mimi like to play restaurant. Bop adorns a hat and scarf and pretends to be “Mr. Periwinkle” or some other made up character. Mimi and Rowan are the restaurant people. Eden is a customer, too. She puts on a hat and scarf and one glove. The glove quickly turns into a puppet.
Bop and I continue to be amazed and filled with joy at the imaginations and creativity of these children. The mind of a five years old boy and a two years old girl are fascinating. Every day is a new adventure.
We are thankful to be able to share in their lives. And, yes, when Eden wants Mimi to “turn round, turn round” so I can twirl like her, I will gladly twirl, just a lot slower than Eden’s twirls.
Yes, Eden, you are “pretty, pretty.”
Eden and Rowan are two of the biggest blessings God has provided. The opportunity to see the simple things in life from their perspective allows us to remember to find joy in every moment. When sad times come, we can rest in knowing God is with us and those sad times will pass. When good times come, we can give thanks to the Father for His endless love and mercy.
Today is a good day. Today is a great day to “turn round, turn round” and enjoy the laughter of young and not so young.
How are you finding laughter today?
Blessings,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson