Splashing in the Rain

All of the kids seem to be so much better that I might even pronounce them "well." Brian's the hold-out with still very much pain, and he's caught the kid's eye infection. But I got his antibiotic eye drops today and I've ordered one of the best arsenals I know of - Melaleuca's Vitality pack vitamins and their immunity booster, and more FibroMalic from iHerb. Hopefully we'll have them in by week's end and get back on track.

Due to the passed-around eye infections, I finally barred them from going outside for the past two days (mostly,at least) to get a break from the pollen, and they are driving me nuts with their energy. I was finally ready to take on the strawberry patch or park tomorrow, only to find rain in the forecast for the next few days. It's raining now, and I'm sure that the strawberry patch will be a mud hole, but I'm dying for fresh berries and time is running out. Then I read this article at thegreenhour.org. So inspirational! The children love to run in the rain, their colds are cleared up, and the pollen will be washed away. I'm going to get out the rain coats and let them have fun and maybe if it's not raining all day, we'll pick strawberries in the mud too. -But only if I can figure out a way to keep my cleaned van clean.

Back to thegreenhour.org. This was my first visit, but it looks like a wonderful site. The NWF tends to be a liberal organization, but their children's publications (Animal Baby, Your Big Backyard, Ranger Rick) are wonderful and this new site was launched for, in their own words:

"The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a "Green Hour" every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play.

To give parents and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get their kids -- and themselves -- outside, NWF has created GREENHOUR.ORG, a website rich in family-friendly content and which hosts a supportive virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures. "