Over in the meadow

Day 8 of 31 at TWT!

Sunshine warms my cheeks as my eyes widen at the brilliance of the perfectly clear sky. The breeze that tickles my face and rustles through the long grasses is not the same as the biting winds of not that long ago. Ahead of me, the rainbow streamers on Sweetie's bike flow backwards as her legs pedal furiously. I don't even have to go that slow anymore to stay with her! It's amazing to see how much stronger she is since the fall. 

In my rearview mirror, Rainbow Girl's big blue eyes are gazing across the meadow, taking everything in from her seat at my back. "Look!" she'll say periodically, sticking out her little finger. She loves watching the road on the other side of the meadow just as much as she loves the nature we're riding through, and she signals each with equal excitement. "A dump truck!" "Birdies!" "Woods!" Last summer, she demanded I sing "Over in the Meadow" every time we rode or walked along this path, but now she's more content to just look around and tell me about whatever she sees. 

When we round the corner to the stretch of path that runs right along the edge of the woods, she declares, "Leaves! Play in leaves!" 

"Yes, that is where we played in the leaves in the fall!" There were great piles here, now blown away and trampled. It's amazing how much she remembers. 

Sometimes we pass another biker or walker heading in the opposite direction, and she yells out, "Hiiiiii! I'm on my bike!!!"

We're already at the first pond, which used to be about the end of Sweetie's range, and she doesn't seem tired at all. If we had time, we could go longer. "Do you want to get out and look closer at the pond?" 

"Get out!!!! Yeah!!!!" Rainbow Girl sticks her legs and arms straight out with joy, wiggling her little fingers in delight. By the time I turn around on my bike, wrangle her out of her seat straps, and lift her down, Sweetie's skipping along the bank of pond, which absolutely sparkles in the sunshine.

"Frogs!" Rainbow Girl announces. 

"They might be down in the mud still, but yeah, we sometimes see and hear frogs here!"

The sisters giggle and frolic for a few minutes, running along the path and in the grass. Sweetie, with her long legs sprawling out, looks so big and tall. Rainbow Girl toddles along behind with her flailing run, so little, yet so big, yet still so little! 

<3 <3

Too soon, we have to turn around and bike back home to be back in time for Sweetie's second kindergarten meeting. But the warm air is hugging us, the soft breeze is blowing hope into us, and we will have more days like this!