Thursday, August 5, 2010

Hiding Rocks in My Pocket

I had visited a marine reserve in CA the other week.  We had gone to check out the tide pools. 

My husband is very into nature from the depths of the ocean to the cosmos.  Our DVR has countless episodes of nature shows that my husband has watched.

I like to explore and check out things.  I prefer to see and touch and just experience, whereas my husband needs to know the whys and the hows.    

My daughter is very much like my husband in the sense that she loves nature.  She is also a collector of leaves, flowers, grass, and yes, even inanimate things like rocks.  She also has a fascination with bugs.  Creepy crawlies, bees, flies, you name it she probably knows what it is.  She tries to catch the flies that find their way into our house and when she catches... ahem, kills them (not intentionally, of course since their reflexes seem to slow down after extended periods in our house) she MUST put them in their new home.

Their new home is the flower pot outside our kitchen sliding door.  In reality, it is a graveyard but she thinks it is a playground and home of flies who have been released from our home.

The rocks that line the landscaping around our pool find their way into our daughter's sandbox or her water table and sometimes even her pockets as she smuggles them into the house.

When we were at the marine reserve, I couldn't help picking up rocks and shells that I thought our daughter would enjoy.  In truth, they were things that I found fascinating to.  They were little mementos of our trip which were more precious than anything I could buy in a touristy overpriced shop. 

My husband picked up an interesting rock and showed it to me.  It looked like it had been molded out of clay and it had holes in it, not jagged holes, but smooth holes. I oohed and awed and held it in my hand before handing him his treasure back.  Into the water it went with a flick of his hand.

I was upset and looked at him accusingly.  "Why did you do that!?!?"

He looked at me puzzled. "You wanted that?"

I did.  So much that he stepped over the slippery rocks to fish it back out of the water so I could tuck it into my pocket for safe keeping.


Peeking into the pools at anemones, starfish, crabs, and fish, I kept my eye out for more little treasures.  My pockets were full as we left the beach.

As we were walking to the car, my husband glanced at me and said, "and you wonder where Emmy gets her need to collect rocks."

When I emptied my pockets that was mostly what I had collected. 

But they were so pretty.  Once they dried, their surfaces were not so shiny and glossy, but I remembered how they looked in the water and I was content. Happy even.

I will confess some of the shells I found and one of the holey rocks would be perfect for jewelry.  If I knew how to make my own jewelry anyway.  One day I may learn.  Some day.

Emmy oohed and awed and they filled her pockets for several days after I came home.  They also were sprinkled on the floor of my car because she had to take them out and hold them as we drove around running errands.

Many of them now sit in my husband's fish tank in his office.  According to Emmy, it is so the fish can enjoy them to. 

I guess it reminds them of  home.

9 comments:

One Photo said...

Lovely post. Ah yes, I think your husband is right, your daughter gets her love of collecting and rocks from you. My daughter is an avid collector too - leaves, flowers, rocks and more but definitely gets this love from her Daddy so my home is filled with so many small objects which for a clutter free loving person like me has been hard to adjust to :-) Sounds like you had a wonderful day out, I so wish we lived near the ocean.

Michelle @Flying Giggles said...

I am the same way. I have a few bowls in my house that I put our shells into and the rocks adorn our garden...lol.

Organic Motherhood with Cool Whip said...

What a sweet and wonderful posts. I love to collect things too and so do both my sons. Esp. Nino. They have this cool thing at our zoo called the Nature Exchange where kids can bring in "treasures" they've collected, earn points, learn about these things, and then trade them for other natural treasures. It's really cool. I only wish I could participate too. But alas they said 36 was a little old...humph!

Liz said...

That's a really sweet story! It is pretty amazing all what nature can do! Just water carving those smooth holes out of rock?!? Amazing!

Joey Lynn Resciniti said...

My daughter has really enhanced my enjoyment of rocks. I think it's the point of children, to remind of that ordinary things are extraordinary.

Joy@TPMG said...

I love the whole idea of a Nature Exchange!

I do think your right that children really do make you enjoy the world around you more. They help you see everything new through their eyes!

parentingadabsurdum said...

That is a pretty awesome rock!! We too are currently fascinated with nature, specifically snakes... I'd rather do fish!

Lourie said...

Oh we would always collect rocks when we would go camping. And shells from the beach. I love the fly graveyard...err home. ;)

The Drama Mama said...

That was a really cool rock!

I've tried to share my love of "gemstones" (aka Crystals) with my children, but so far they have no interest, though Scooby likes to pick up a rock here and there every so often.

This was a great post, and I love that Emmy's rocks are all over the place.

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