Mud Soup

Mud Soup a la Loo Lee

I swear, our kids do things JUST to make themselves different.  To stand out.  And Loo Lee, never to be outdone by her sister - just HAD to get dirty.  Of course, not on the same day as the Biggie Wiggie.  The next day.  Thankfully, bath tub day!

Soup instead of Pie.  And Loo Lee does things her way.  Slow.  Methodical.  Planned.  And messy.  I swear we worked on this soup for the whole day.  Of course, we stopped for lunch, a play in the park and a few snuggles - but it was a full day event followed by a dive into the tub with a whole herd of animals!







Mud Soup
Makes: enough for me and you and the boy in blue!

We first must have music!

See - our kids are always trying to be one of two things.

Just like each other.

Or just as different as the night and the day.

And, of course, we love each one for their own ways and personalities!








Our kids either play together well.  Or not.  No grey area.  No fuzzy line.  It's either good, or bad.  And even then, the bad isn't too bad at all.  I mean, it can always be worse, right?

And inspect the bugs!

And it seems that any time we spend the days outside, they are good days.  Great days.  Fresh air, sunshine (or rain/snow/sleet/hail) and the birds singing in the trees seems to put us all in a lighter mood and more willing to put up with the silly things that seem to drive us over the edge when cooped up indoors.

Start with clean water,
then make it dirty!

So this whole weekend we dedicated to the kids.  Doing what the kids wanted to do.  And when they rested, we tackled the bigger things that only adults want to tackle, chores.  Washing the dishes, doing the laundry.  Dinners and lunches.

Thank goodness for down times.  We call them quiet times.  Our kids pile up onto the couch with a good movie and a warm blanket - regardless of the weather.  

Seems the blankies (or blankelets, as Loo used to call them) are their safe spots.  I always thought they'd give up on them as they grew older.  Nope.  The blankets just got bigger.  They get hauled out of the bedroom each morning, and dragged down the hallway each night.  If one child gets hurt - the other brings the blanket to comfort them.

Stop to smell the lilacs!

Not that they aren't getting comfort from us - it's just something about a familiar blanket that makes them feel more secure and relaxed.  We drag those things camping, into the carport for hockey nights (when it's warm enough to be outdoors, anyways) and all around the house.

Going in a walk to
find ingredients!

And they share too.  With Mommy or Daddy. 

Heaven forbid another child touch the blanket.  Heck no!  The looks could kill!  Very possessive and for what it is (just a blanket, after all) we don't make them share.  It's the one thing that is THEIRS.  And only theirs.

Smell more flowers!

Funny how that works.  A simple, poly filled bit of cotton can change the world.  We finally had to hide their baby blankets, or they'd still be dragging them around too.  Thin pieces of muslin (which used to be full-on cotton) don't handle the wash very well.  And it's the memories of tucking them into bed with their blankets that give us adults the warm feelings of the babies, still needing us.










But, our girls are growing up, and changing ever day.

They still need us, just not all the time.  And as great as that is - it's still hard to imagine that one day they will need us less and less.
 

Tear flowers apart to put into soup!

The freedom we're finding as parents (we can let the kids outside without being there all.the.time) opens new doors for us - we can finish a load of laundry or a sink full of dishes.  Or start a blog.

But, we still act like kids.  We still love to spend time with them.  Because one day, they won't want to spend time with us.










Really?  Does that happen?  It does, and it sucks!  I know it will and when it does I will shed a tear for what was, and what will become.

My wee beauty!  Even when dirty ....

I'm OK with our kids growing up.  I find it amazing.  Their new found confidence is so amazing!  Like today, Biggie Wiggie got her teeth cleaned with me NOT in the room!  Gasp!  And loo Lee nearly made it through without me too.  Sigh.







So, perhaps it's me that needs them more than they need me?  Insane!  Enlightenment!  I know I'm just like every other Mom out there that needs the kids and need a break every once in a while.


Need one?  Make the time, take the time.  Any way you can and for ever long as you can.  10 minutes - have a bubble bath.  20 minutes - go for a walk!  Longer?  Lucky you!

See how I ramble?  A post about playing with mud leads to so many other places!  And if I know you (and I probably do as strangers don't happen onto my blog very often....of if they do they never comment), your mind works in this great and mysterious way too! 

Soup de jour, mon amis!

I finally figured out that having children makes us like auctioneers.  We give orders, we direct traffic, we tend to the needy.  "Go here, do this, get off that, put that here or there or hey - why not way over there, get this, get that, eat this and drink that."

Enjoy slowing down to dip your fingers into the mud!

--The Cook