We have a neighbor across the street. Her children are grown, she has many ailments that keep her inside this time of year, and she is a hugger. So we try to go spread a little love around as we can. Ivy loves the hugs, Gavin loves to control the leash of her dog, and our neighbor is happy to have her home filled with our noise. Anyway - it seems her basement is a wonderland. Every time we visit, we go home with something wonderful - old rubber stamps, waxy bendy sticky sticks to create whatever out of, and this one time... a big yellow ball.
Little did our neighbor know that we were reading Yellow Ball by Molly Bang. We had read and re-read the book all week. We looked at the struggling moments showing the boy loosing his ball at the beach as it slowly drifts out to sea. We watched it grow small as it appeared like a dot under a huge bridge... and watched it get tossed in the waves as a storm blew it high and low. We too took a journey as the ball made its way to a new beach and a new family. A lot like our new ball.... being loved on and played with with new little hands.
One nap time, Gavin and I discussed horizons, and took time to recreate Molly Bang's cover illustration. Gavin did a bit of a color study as he happily swirled white and blue... then black and blue. We made shade after shade of blue and more blue and then painted the sea and sky. It was lovely - and relaxing - and exactly what summer reading should be.
We spent some time talking and reading the account of Jesus calming the wind and the waves. Gavin loved that Jesus spoke right to the wind and water. He asked it they had ears - and I had to say yes! How else could the elements so quickly obey?? What kind of ears, Mom?? Obedient ones was my only reply - just like the kind of ears we all need to hear the voice of our Lord.
And who knows what types of games we will play with our new ball. Hopefully big games with high tosses and loud booms. I know one thing - Gavin would never let our ball blow out to sea - or in our case the pond. Each (and every) time we leave the deck to head out to the backyard, the gate is shut and locked so the wind does not snatch up anything that does not belong to him. We have learned by mistake here and I don't think it shall be repeated.
So thank you Ms. Nancy, Molly Bang, and my special blessings, Gavin and Ivy... for making motherhood so colorful, joyous, and fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment