Can I tell you how much I have loved the rainy days? I have had fun watching the clouds bump up against the mountains--competing as to which will look the most ominous and gloomy. I love the purples, blues and greys and the shapes and the movement. I like the coolness (except for the cold feet) and the way the green of the emerging leaves on the trees and the thickening grass and growing plants has more depth against the shadows than in bright light.

I love the mama duck who walks across the street to visit early every morning. We have confirmed there is a nest and we look forward to the baby ducks.

I also love having something concrete to prepare for. England Manchester. At the end of August. In fact the weather this week reminds me of the few days I spend in England a long time ago. It's going to be great--and he's going to love it.

I love the simple lessons I learn from observing my kids.

Yesterday I pulled up five minutes late to pick up L~ from softball practice. As I parked the car I saw L~ take off to run the bases at full speed. After she rounded second base she completely wiped out. One of the best wipe-outs I've ever seen on a softball field.

She got back up and took off to complete her run, trying to catch the girls who had passed her by. I laughed when she got in the car and told her that was the best wipe-out I'd ever seen!

Later she explained that they'd already run bases twice that day and L~ had been giving less than her best on the second run. The coach challenged them all to run it like they meant it on the last run.

I loved knowing that was why she'd been running all out when I saw her.

I loved that when she went down she probably went down a lot harder for how hard she was trying.

I loved that she got back up.

I loved that she came up running.

I also loved that she was a little disappointed when she realized she wasn't any worse for the wear (no battle scars).

Rain. Glorious, cloud-bursting rain. I was just about to get out of my car and start dancing in it with Lorien's kids but then there was a big clap of thunder. So I stayed in. But celebrated just the same.

The best part (well, except for the way it broke K~'s heart to miss his first baseball game) was the rain-out status of the game du jour. That meant for one night I could be home if I wanted to be.

I love a rainy day!

Bribery 101:

Last night, well after dusk, L~ was begging someone to go have a catch with her. She is a budding softball star and lives, eats and breathes softball now.

It was already quarter to nine.

I had been begging everyone all week to go clean the downstairs so Z~ can have friends over for his birthday.

So I stopped doing the dishes (which have never been fully caught up since the beginning of April) and made L~ a deal. "I'll come play catch with you for five minutes if you will immediately go downstairs and help clean the family room until 9:00."

She enthusiastically agreed.

What she didn't realize is that I came out on the best end of both sides of that deal. I got to play catch with my daughter. (I'd forgotten how much I loved to play softball. And my daughter can be a lot of fun to be around when she wants to be.) And the family room is clean (well, after a fashion).