sandy Monday

I suppose I could fret about the fact that it is too cool in the morning to eat breakfast on the porch.

(Scotch, our oldest hen, doesn't mind cool temps in the slightest. Her breakfast this morning: a few flower petals, many bugs and a stale remanent of a croissant.)






But really, that would be picky and ungrateful. It's another gorgeous day here, on the farmette and the lilacs are adding spice to the already heady mixture of sweet fragrances.






And the crab apples wont give up their sublime performance!






We eat in the kitchen, to take in the prettiness of it all.






And immediately after, we work on improving the edges of the front flower field.


It's getting close to noon. I'm a little apprehensive about picking up Snowdrop at school, because I know that for reasons of travel and visits and such, the girl is coasting today on too little sleep. But the good weather helps us out. A quiet stroller walk, a few minutes in her favorite playground swing...






...and a few bites of a snack help keep her spirits high.

Then of course there is the promise of a surprise at the farmette. I tell her that ahah built it for her. She understands that to mean that it must be something in the sheep shed. She makes a dash for it.






No little one, no! Come back here! It's in the yard.

Ah, the much discussed, disputed sandbox!

She is greatly surprised to see it. All yellow and white, just like the farmhouse! All yours, Snowdrop!

You'd think that she never have anything in her life that was "all hers!" Or that she hadn't had the opportunity to run her hand through the fine crystals of sand before. She is absolutely tickled to see it.

I start off by giving her a couple of John Deere toy trucks. She likes them...






... but they get ignored once I introduce the tea and cake molds (for sand play).






I had been a bit concerned that the cheepers would want to jump in and scratch sand, but to my great relief, they think the whole sand project is a bit silly.






When Ed joins her in building molds and sculpting who knows what, her joy is complete.






She does seem to like it... he tells me.






Yes, I have a very hard time getting her back indoors. Thank goodness for chopped fruits and croissants. And Duplo characters.






After her nap, Snowdrop just wants quiet time. Like reading the equivalent of a comic book with ahah.






When her parents come to pick her up, she wants so much to show them her sandbox. I catch them walking back. Snowdrop with parents. Crab apple and lilacs.