The Meadow

"Look! Granddad, there are beautiful flowers in our meadow" Pippi says with glee. Her eyes dance as Granddad and she settle into their favorite spot in the meadow.

"Yes, Pippi, they are wonderful and smell so sweet. Look! There are juicy berries waiting to be picked" says Granddad in his deep base voice.

"Yes Granddad. We need a basket to pick them." Pippi exclaims. She quickly finds a basket and they pick berries until the basket is overflowing. "Blackberries are so sweet. The juice is all over my face."

"Do you see the clouds in the sky? They are fluffy and look like cotton candy Granddad!" Pippi says as she lazily takes her place by Granddad cuddling up with his strong protective arm around her.

Granddad and Pippi are spending the afternoon in their special meadow. They lay in the tall sweet smelling grass and feel the cool breeze on their faces. They see some rather unusual wildlife and plant life as they hold hands and explore their special world.

"Pippi! See the deer? It just hopped across the meadow. Now it's standing under the apple tree." Granddad points in the direction of the white tailed deer so Pippi can get a glimpse of the soft cotton tail before it disappears into the wooded area just beyond the meadow.

"Yes Granddad, I see the deer. Maybe she is going to see her baby. Wow! Granddad, see the monkey? He is swinging through the trees!" Pippi says, giggling with excitement.

"Yes, I see him. He is so funny" Granddad says laughing. "Oh! I hear a lion roaring in the woods. Be careful! Come closer and I'll protect you." Granddad says with an urgency in his voice.

"I see him. Let's be very still and maybe he will not know we are here." Pippi whispers in Granddads ear, her hand a little tighter around his.

The freedom and excitement of being out in the meadow with the wild flowers and wild animals surrounding them, is a delicious treat for them both.

"Pippi! Granddad! It's time for dinner!" Mommy calls from the kitchen.

"We'll be right there!" says Granddad as Pippi and he get up from the floor and fold up the blanket they have been lying on in the living room.

"Granddad can we go back to the meadow tomorrow? What do you think we will see then?" Pippi asked Granddad excitedly.

"We'll go back again tomorrow!" Granddad said as they sat down at the table with the rest of the family.

So goes an afternoon in our home.

Find your "meadow" with the little ones in your home. It is simple, does not take extreme amounts of time, and the children will have memories of you that will last a lifetime.