If you Give a Squirrel a Pumpkin

We are a family of traditions. With so many moves, I want my kids to know consistency, regardless of what city we call home. There is an expectancy on our part as parents, and their part as kids. There are ways we do things, things that are our Commons. We have our daily traditions, our weekly traditions, our lifestyle traditions, and obviously our feasting traditions. I want them to know things that are purposeful and established in our home. I want them to know a family legacy.

I am awed by their small fry brotherhood. It is a distinct subculture. They hang together, and giggle together, and fight together. Its beautiful. Along came Halloween, and the boy tribe went to church dressed in orange. I want them to remember their childhood gusto for being their own posse, for loyalty and honor to one another. I want that gusto for them, the same gusto my husband has for our family, for their families one day.

I want their lives to reflect a God that loves them more than they love each other or anyone else. I want them to know they can never be as great alone as they can be with Him. So as we hollowed out the pumpkins, I explained how we too are like pumpkins. There are parts of us that are dark and icky on the inside. But a loving God cleans us up, and His light can shine through us.

And at our house, there are the childhood traditions that are just plain ol' fun, like eating Mummy Dogs. I made these for my kids during the month of October. The boys loved these so much they may request these year round. Ah, but I am a traditionalist. Sorry boys, October only.

This year is a year like no other. Some things cannot be steeped in tradition since we can only live here through June. And for those moments, I want my kids to learn to live in the moment, to embrace what life offers when it comes.

Hubs casually mentioned a few special activities at Harvard for the kids. Obviously, I wouldn't want to take the kids for just an hour on a Friday, driving in traffic, he reasoned. WHAT?!? Of course I did. When else were my kids going to trick or treat at Harvard? I want our kids to know fun. I want them to know that we cannot always be practical, be schedule oriented, and be so steeped in tradition, in a set way of doing things, that they cannot STRETCH. There is, however, a difference between stretching and bending until we snap from bending too far. They trick or treated again on Sunday night. Son1 saw a neighbor friend and wanted to trick or treat with his family. He invited himself, in a way. But I pulled him aside and told him that we were staying together as a family, that we would not leave anyone behind, and for safety he was staying with us. The streets are dark, and the lights are too dim. Plus it was a bitter 39 degrees, and he should want to stay near me since I had his jacket. He stopped and thought about what I said. He just smiled and agreed.

 

The day after Halloween we pulled into our driveway and found a very hungry squirrel. The kids shrieked in our van at the sight. I felt hot prickles on the back of my neck. Our pumpkins were a squirrel's feast. The kids wanted me to know. They wanted me to see. I thought they were upset. I was a little bugged myself. I thought how I might cry if I was their age. 

It was quiet for a moment or two. Then I heard a curious voice ask, "Hey, Mommy, do you have a camera with you?" And then another voice, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!!! Take a picture!"

"Hurry Mommy, HURRY! You are going to miss it!!" And while I scrounged around for my camera, I smiled. They are boys. They see wonder sometimes when I see a problem. When I saw a pumpkin problem, they saw a pumpkin opportunity. It is amazing how they think differently, see differently.We watched as the squirrel dined on the pumpkin lid, and rolled it with its tiny hands.

 

In an instant the squirrel was gone. I thought we were done with our little observation. But my boys saw a different view. "NO MOMMY! Look behind you!" And there he was sitting at the edge of our driveway behind me.