Seed Soup and other magic

 January 26

It is a beautiful sunny day. Almost warm. We head to the deck and my girls ask to turn on the hose. I deflect and redirect by asking them to help me refill the bird feeder. But the request is repeated and I decide why not, we can always change our clothes. The water table has an impressive growth of algae  We dump it out and get to work scrubbing the sides. Soon it is filled with fresh clean water and it is time to make soup! "I'll get the spoons," I say, running into the kitchen for a couple of old wooden spoons. They mix and churn adding bits of leaves, sticks and finally seeds fallen from the bird feeder. "It's Seed Soup!" announces my six year old. "Yes!" adds her sister, "I"m making soup too!"

After a time they decide to decant their liquid into large mixing bowls and now they are making potion, magic potion. They mutter spells half nursery rhyme, half gibberish. Each spell ending in "Poof!"  Eventually the potion gets carefully dripped onto plants. My little magicians are busy transforming their world. When it is time to go out for a bit we leave everything as is. An hour later they rush into the house and out the back door. "Let's make more soup!" I hear while still putting my keys down. They mix and stir and pour to their hearts content. I make a cup of tea and join them in the sun.