Today was really good for our souls. It was a bright, sunny, warm day. And we had big plans to brighten our day and the day of others!
The girls did their schoolwork outside today. Squid took over the play set – I brought out a bean bag chair and a blanket for her (since it was still a little chilly in the morning), and she got right to work. Wormy and I worked on the deck. Working outside made schoolwork fly by!
After lunch, we went out to the driveway to create our own backdrops for some fun. Wormy wanted to be a butterfly, so she made butterfly wings for us to take turns getting pictures inside. Squid wanted to draw a cat and the Eiffel Tower so that she had ‘souvenir pictures’ from our couch travels last week. I wanted to draw the infamous “Up”-inspired balloon backdrop. It was really fun and they all turned out really well!
My favorite part of the day was a birthday parade we created throughout North Prairie. Three of Squid’s friends have birthdays today. A few weeks back I got to thinking about how rough it would be if my girls had birthdays during this time. I know how much Squid was looking forward to celebrating her friends’ birthdays with them (she even had a countdown on her chalkboard in her room). If that’s how excited SHE was about their birthdays….what about the girls who were having the birthday? I knew those girls would remember this year’s birthday very well, as it is so odd. However, I really wanted to create a way for them to remember this birthday for as a HAPPY memory instead of as a year their birthday wasn’t celebrated in the way they wanted.
Squid’s classroom has a Facebook page, set up by her super awesome teacher. I used this page to ask if any families would be interested in parading past the girls’ homes on their birthdays. The response was overwhelming! So many families were willing to do it! And, when this afternoon’s meet-up time came, there they all were. Some with balloons to drop off, others with amazing signs, and so many with some great yells of birthday greetings! The birthday girls definitely felt special, and it was SO great to see families from the girls’ school again! So many smiling faces! Squid’s teacher and principal were even part of our parade! How cool is that? It made me so happy that my girls go to a school with such caring families and staff. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I got a little (or more) teary-eyed during this event.
Today was exactly what we needed. We ended with a beautiful walk through the subdivision. It’s days like today that help us get through the craziness of our current situation.
This brings me to my challenge to you all – in the next week, in what way can YOU make a difference in someone else’s life? How can you bring happiness to others? Even the smallest gesture can bring that same happiness right back to you!
Car Full of Harmony 
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