Creative play for Cloudy Sundays

Today my wife has "run away" for the day. She is off to a botanical garden not terribly far from where we live. It is beautiful there, with lovely paths for walking and fascinating gorgeous plants.  I remember there are fountains there too.  Somewhere I have a picture of KC trying to climb into one when he was about 2! LOL

I am watching the littles make scenes using some empty packing boxes from our job. They are coloring scenes on the inside, adding paper creations and standing them up. Then they use legos tinkertoys and little people etc to flesh out the scene. It is really really cute.

Rob is listening to an audio book and Chet is just vegging.  The house is so quiet it is almost surreal. I had sort of half planned a beach trip today but am glad I said nothing to the kids.  We woke to rain and clouds. What they don't know about, they won't miss.  It is one of those rare moments when all is peaceful and no one is yelling or needing some re-direction.  Truly it is a thing of beauty. Actually they have all been very happy and agreeable today--I think we all slept well in the more temperate 95 degree temps instead of the scorching 102 of the day before. LOL

Yesterday when I was on Facebook, I saw a post that Amy Winehouse had died.  I would imagine that substances of some kind are involved. Her difficulties in recent years were pretty much plastered everywhere.   It is so sad. 27 years old and full of pretty amazing talent.  I feel badly for how often I found myself humming the song "Rehab" when it was popular.  It was a catchy tune and I am one of those people who gets a tune in their head and hums it forever.  (at least that is what my family says when I start in on Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah) 

Winehouse's passing makes me think of internet friends and real life friends and my own  extended family who have struggles with addiction.  Life is such a gift. So fleeting and so frail.  When addiction becomes part of life, it is hard sometimes to see past it to the person.  I know this from personal experience.  But the person you know and love is still there.   I sometimes fret for my children--children born exposed to substances, the need , the taste for certain substances strong within their little bodies.  Will they be drawn to drugs as they grow older, will their bodies remember and yearn?   Will the love, nurturing and guidance help them choose a safer path?

Watching them all play this morning it seems so unlikely.  But I bet 20 years ago or so, Amy Winehouse was playing in ways that made the events of yesterday seem impossible.