Rain, Ducks and Elephants

Don’t get me wrong…I love the rain. Living in Southern California none of the seasons are very extreme but we have gotten our share of rain this season. I love the sky after a rain storm. I posted this out on facebook the day after a storm even outlining one of the elephants that were running through the neighborhood for those who might miss it.

We have had a lot of beautiful post storm skies to enjoy. I enjoy the bright flowers that the rain makes pop up everywhere. Like these bright ones growing in what is normally a dirt lot.

But I looked out last week after another rain storm and found this in my backyard pool.

That right ducks. Now come on it hasn’t been raining that hard. Maybe they just needed a little break and if they had landed in the pond I might have let them stay a little while but after I snapped this picture I decided their rest was long enough and shooed them away. I’ve seen what the ducks do to the water down at Riverwalk and didn’t want any “deposits” in the pool.

Happy Birthday to Dr Seuss

"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild,
  to pick up a book and read to a child."  Dr Seuss

Born March 2, 1904 as Theador Suess Geisel but known to all who love him as Dr Seuss. He would have been 107 today. We miss his creative spirit but are left with over 44 books and numberless quotes aka “Seussisms” that will live on.

Seuss described himself this way, “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”

I was so blessed that Elizabeth loved and I mean looooved to read. She started reading very young and never slowed down. I know this is going to sound outrageous but when she was younger and she got in trouble (which wasn’t too often) the only thing I could do that had a real effect was to put her on restriction from reading books. I know that sounds strange but you really have to find what motivates your child and this is what really worked for her.

I am so glad that when Rebecca was little she wanted to be like her big sister and Elizabeth helped her learn to love to read. I don’t know if she loved the reading with her sister or just her sister’s attention but either way she too developed a love for reading (but restricting her from books never worked, she had different motivators). I recently purchased the cutest little print from Cinnamonink that I just love and I am going to frame and hang with some framed pictures of the girls when they were little reading together.

Long ago I donated the books that the girls had when they were younger to charity…but I held onto the Dr Seuss ones. They are sitting on a shelf just waiting for the next generation to enjoy them as they will never go out of style.

Some of my favorite Seuss quotes;

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are  the one who'll decide where to go..."
             from “Oh, the places You’ll Go!”

"The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go." From “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut.”

“I have heard there are troubles of
 more than one kind.
Some come  from ahead and some come from
behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

I didn’t even know this was a Seuss quote until Rebecca put it in her wedding sign in book. 

 “You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep     
  because reality is finally better than your dreams.”



May we all enjoy a few Seuss-isms today