It's All About Interpretation

[caption id="attachment_4633" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="By the big waterfall with my fantabulous nieces, Bella and Sophia."][/caption]

While on our trip in Tennessee, my lovely, talented, brilliant niece, Bella, guided me up the side of the waterfall.  We walked through a gorgeous creek, surrounded by trees, winding its way around to not one, but two heart- shaped pools.  (And to make things interesting we made sure to touch as few bugs as we could along the way.)  As we walked, I looked down and spotted a white heart-shaped leaf.  I picked it up, feeling as if it was a message from Ellie.  Bella said it reminded her of angel's wings.

While we were exploring, Susan. being Super Sister and all, began to wonder if we were ok.  Susan inquired of Dariush how long we had been exploring.  Four-year-old Dariush patiently explained that he has in fact not learned to tell time at this point in his education, something he plans on learning soon-ish, however it seemed to him as if we had been gone a "long minute".  Susan decided to ascend the fall and

[caption id="attachment_4632" align="alignright" width="225" caption="On top of the waterfall. I made it!!"][/caption]

make sure a rescue was not needed.

When they found us, Dariush suddenly told Susan he needed to go.  Like RIGHT THEN doing a pee-pee dance gotta go.  Susan recomended he utilize nature as his bathroom.  Before we could do anything else, Dariush, said, "But it feels strange."  Susan said, "Oh, well, I thought you would actually pull your pants down to go."  I just imagine when Susan said he could go, Dariush suddenly thought, for some inexplicable reason, he had a diaper on, so away he went.  Boy was he surprised when that was not the case.  It also made me think of how often we think we are saying one thing and the person we are communicating with is hearing something completely different.

When I returned to the Big Red Barn (where we eat and sleep and bathe and hang at Pranee), I produced the white heart/angel winged shaped leaf to show everyone.  I laid it on the table.  Lotta picked it up and crumpled it and threw it on the floor, as if to say, "What's this trash doing on the table?"  Funny.  Again, felt like what I was explaining and what Lotta was hearing were 2 entirely different things.