<FONT COLOR="purple"><FONT size="4"><center>Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions </FONT s>
Author Unknown </center>

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.


When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.


When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.


When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."


When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

<center><FONT size="4"><I>I wish you Big Mud Puddles
and
Sunny Yellow Dandelions!!! </I></FONT s></FONTc></center>

Oh how you've softened my day!!
Thank you, <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/angel.gif" width=25 height=20> Wyldflower.

I fear I am more of a child then an adult, perhaps this is a good thing, but I always thought that someday I would reach adulthood and give it a try.

In the meantime would any of you want to try doing the "monkeywalk" with me, it drives 16 year old Nikki crazy when I walk down the street doing it singing, "here we come, just walking down the street, get the funniest looks from eveyone we meet",

16 year old girls are very adult it seems.

I love you guys and Wyldflower you are a sweetheart

heehee... The Monkees were the absolute MOST fun - just ask Cheryl!

Haven't done the Monkees Walk in Years... gotta do that now!

Yesterday my daughter and I brought her daughter to the park, and I showed my 22-month-old granddaughter how much fun it is to go "SPLISH" in the puddles.

Splish is now her favorite word!

Love you guys!

The best thing is to forget to be grown-up whenever you can. Hanging out here is a good way to do that. Thanks, Wyld, for the dandelion fluff and squishies.

I always use Woody's "Watch the Children" quote in my storytimes. It ends with "..I don't want to see the children be grown up, I want to see the grownups be more like children!" I think we could learn a lot from that. My Marine son told me a story over the week-end that brightened my days--he said they were taking PT outside, and it had just rained, and at the end of their PT they all decided to slide through the puddles. 60 "grown-up" rough, tough marines sliding through big puddles--just made me <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>