Poetry, Valentine's Day & Rain on the Brain

The rains are finally here.  I usually dread the torrential rains of December/January, but this year they did not come.  The farmers all around us need rain and if I'd buy the rain barrels I know I need....those would need rain too.  Well, this week the rains and winds arrived and everyone was happy to see it.

We have been preparing for Valentine's Day for a few weeks by creating and making cards for G's classmates.  He loves to cut images from magazines and save them.   He carefully selected the image that he wanted to bestow on each classmate and teacher, glued the image, wrote each child's name and his on the card and then I asked him why or what he wanted to say to each person and I jotted down his comments.  Very sweet and I think I enjoyed it just as much as he did.

My mom came over during the week (after completion of our homemade cards) and had four boxes of Valentine's cards.  I told her we make ours and she insisted we take a box and/or donate the rest to the school.  Most of them were logo cards (Disney, cartoon characters, etc.) and I am not a fan of any of that.  However, she did have a box with animals on it - so I said he could keep that box.  Mind you, I didn't read the text on the cards.  Grady immediately sat down and started writing cards to neighbors, the post office ladies, the young man that works at the Valley Ford Market, some of our friends, etc.  Here's a few examples:  "I'm Glad God made us friends" and "Jesus thinks you're special", along with sad little pictures of animals.   Okay, not so funny to most people - but being married to an atheist and my sad attempts at organized religion and newfound freedom with the label "agnostic"....this was very funny to us.  G didn't know what the cards said, but was delighted with the imagery and I think everyone else enjoyed his sweet sentiment nonetheless.

So much happened this week.  Here are the highlights:

• Making sweet treats with Grady for Valentine's Day
• Date Night with my husband in Petaluma at Graziano's & Graffiti
• Numerous rainbow sitings
• Grand Opening of Mermaid Treasures (Isabella & Sophia's storefront at River's End)
• Watching Grady read his poem at Open Mic Night in Tomales 
• Birthday Party & Play Dates
• Bodega Bay Fireworks fundraising underway 
• Buying fire bowl (?) for our yard & all the fixings for s'mores
• Watching Nim's Island with Grady (PG movie, so he had to watch with us and LOVED it)
• Dancing up a storm at VFH while Arann Harris strummed & sang all of G's favorite songs
• Preparing for visit from David Silpa...all the way from Paris!  

We attended the Tomales Open Mic Night and Grady was going to read his poem "Home" to the crowd.  He signed up to go first, sat down and patiently waited.  No fear for this guy.  He got up on stage and delivered a sweet reading and I was so proud of him.  The West Marin paper was there and asked him if they could publish his poem, along with his picture.  He agreed and I'm posting the poem and his imagery of our home, as colored by the little man himself.

I'm jotting a few lines Grady used on me at bedtime this weekend:

Mom, you're sweeter than a rose.

Mom, you're sweeter than juice.

Mom, I love you too much.

Mom, I love you more than Valentines and all the hearts in the world.

I am so lucky.