Mud Babies.

"The smaller children charge into the muddy yard, dancing in the now gentle rain ... Slipping and sliding, falling and rising and falling back down again with laughter for their song. Then someone says they look like mud babies born from the earth herself and we all laugh because we know it's true."

From one of my recent favorite children's books, It Rained on the Desert Today, by Ken and Debby Buchanan, beautifully illustrated by Libba Tracy.

We're always pleased when the rain comes. The kids jump up and down in excitement giving repeated, held out shouts of "Rain!" It's not two minutes before they're begging me to take them outside to walk the grounds of our apartment complex and jump in every puddle they come across. It's not a minute into the rain that the idea occurs to me first. I'm just as eager to get out and wet my scales. Today day was no different. As soon we finished breakfast, we dressed as fast as we could, as not to miss the downpour, and headed out to explore. The first thing Eisley did was plop down in a big, muddy puddle. Her jeans were soaked and you could here the squish-squash of her sopping socks against her wet shoes as she wandered. Emerson is a master puddle jumper. He always couples his tall jumps with poses and dance moves. This was the first time I got to break in my new leather boots in the rain. They produced some massive splashes, to the kids' delight. As Em looked for the deepest puddle, Eisley searched for the perfect little pinecone to cling to (as she always does- she's never without a rock, leaf, or pinecone when we're outdoors.) It wasn't long before the shoes came off and the kids were letting their toes sink into the mud. They found a puddle deep enough to make their lower legs disappear and a particular spot on an overhang where the rain was rushing down like a waterfall. They circled back and forth between the two, giggling along the way. It also put me in a prime position for capturing their joy in pictures. We lost track of time and could had stayed out all day. I had to make promises of a warm bath and snuggles to get them to go inside, though I was reluctant to be going in all the same.













































Rain is an important part of our lives. It has rained on most of our big days- the day Brian and I first said I love you, the day I graduated from High School, the day Eisley was born (to name just a few.) If we're not outside, we're driving around town with our windows cracked and our cups filled with warm drinks or at least watching with our noses pressed to the windows. Teaching my children to not only accept and embrace, but love and appreciate the rain brings me peace. Rain brings so much goodness to our Earth. Why should we duck our heads into the nearest shelter and avoid it? It's effortless, natural, free entertainment. On rainy days, I begin to picture our future in Portland. It's going to be filled with rain boots, rain coats, and plenty of hot cocoa. I can't wait.

Check out my desert rain playlist here.