The Things You Leave For Me 2 See

I love the messages you leave

for me to see after you go

And I appreciate the special ways

You tell me you love me so


I see the cover of Gone With the Wind

we left by the TV

I see the mess we made of my bed

dancin' to Singin' in the Rain




But I see something else that one of you left

and I know it wasn't left by me

Don't try and blame Gene Kelly

or tell me it was Clark Gable


Just how in the world did one you leave jelly

underneath and smack dab in the middle of the dining room glass table????

Singin' & Playin' in the Rain Like Pirates

Yesterday the girls and I were "Singin' in The Rain" (one of their favorite musicals) and pretending we were pirates (one of my Dad's favorite past lifetimes :-) - just kidding

- I have no idea how many lifetimes we have, only that we have THIS one, or at least SEEM to......(twilight zone theme playing now). Whatever the "truth" is, and it may be different for different people, I do know the size of your world is the size of your heart and mind. I like living in a BIG world, and before I judge people and beliefs I don't understand, I take the time to form an intelligent opinion.

And the more intelligent I become, the more understanding and patience I also seem to be.

But when I woke up this morning, I was hearing a poem in my head called, "Rain, Rain, Go Away?"; one I had written for my son last year at this time.

He's not with me this weekend, but my love for him still is. He wanted to spend the weekend with his friends. So in honor of his great playful spirit, I'm reposting his poem along with pictures from yesterday.

"Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day;
Little Johnny wants to play."


AND SO DOES BROSDEN!*


So to the door
And out in the rain!
We don't know
When this chance will come again.

Hurry Dad,
grab your sword!
There's pirates to fight,
and their ship to board.

Grab that spear.
Into the downpour!
We live in the wild
Hunting the dinosaur.

Let's get a ball
We can bounce off our heads,
Or lay in the puddles
In our own water beds.

It doesn't matter
what we do or be;
As long as I'm in the rain
And you're with me.

- Adam Stuart (August, 2006)

"It's raining!" cried Brosden earlier this afternoon, as he dropped everything and sped to the door. I got the idea for this poem while reading Mother Goose rhymes to Brosden's sister, Sofia, later in the day, and coming across "Rain, Rain, Go Away". After finishing the entire book and reading her favorite, "Georgie Porgie, Pudding and Pie, Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry"* a dozen more (I am in so much trouble with this one) I hurried to the computer to write "Rain, Rain, Go Away?".

I think this is a testimony to the beauty and freedom, and even power of the untamed yet wise spirit of a child. We learn to seek shelter from the joy and cleansing teachings of the rain instead of experiencing the happiness and growth that can come from it.

When the rain clouds in our lives pour down criticism on us, what if we tilted our heads back and opened our arms wide to let in any truth behind the stormy words, and grow from it?

When dark clouds constantly doubt and question us, why not let their "rain" wash off our backs and wash away our insecurities, helping us realize we don't need them anymore in our lives, and they'll soon be moving on?

When we hear the thunder of negativity and verbal abuse, why not think of a child playing in the rain, and realize our spirits are as free as we are brave and courageous enough to let them be? We know our own truth, and people either believe in us and our dreams or don't; they either want to build us up with liquid sunshine or try to tear us down with their thunder and lightening.

So when you find someone who does believe in you and wants to help you Dream and Do Big*, take their hand and play in the rain. It's the essence of life and the meaning of humanity. When those who just want to rain on you with constant doubt,disrespect, dishonesty, etc and try to tear you down, don't run for shelter, but stand strong, smile wide, and know their "rain" can't hurt you and they will soon dry up and be gone.

Being "in the rain" is nothing to be afraid of. Being afraid of the rain is. It can awaken you as you feel it on your face, intoxicate you as it falls on your tongue, exhilerate you as it soakes through your clothes, and stimulate you to open your eyes and see a new, better, and happier world.


Watching you son
As you play in the rain
You remind me just
Of what I used to be

I teach you
But you also teach me
Your free and untamed spirit*
Is what I can still be


- Adam Stuart (August, 2006)

Kisses and Tickles

Whenever I'm around my children I find myself telling them that I like them, that I like who they are. This can convey so much more than saying "I love you", and even help them understand why we love them so much. I think this is important because of the times when we parents don't like what they've done. For instance:

Finding the peanut butter frozen in the freezer and the popsicles melted in the fridge.

A trail of every tie I own all over the house because my son pretended, again, to be some formally dressed nude superhero (when he was younger).

The stamp pad I use to grade papers being used to grade the size of a small foot, which left its very black footprint here, here, here, here, here, here..........................................EVERYWHERE!

So how do we not put up with misbehavior yet not build walls of defensiveness and insecurity at the same time? The answer......Kisses and Tickles. But I'll get to that later.

To make it tougher, I'm a single parent, as are many of you. At least with two parents in the same home one can act as "goalie" (as Bill Cosby calls it) and "put the kid back into play" when they try to get away.

I have old-fashioned values: when mom or dad speaks, the child listens. You're allowed to have a difference of opinion but not allowed to express it disrespectfully. You are allowed to be you, and this means the you who is above all honest. Make all the mistakes you want, just learn from them. Open the door for your sisters and say thank you to your brother.

So the secret to having high standards and raising healthy, happy, confident children seems to be having high love and appreciation for everything they already are, and everything you know they truly can be. And this means noticing the little things about them. Paying attention to what they do right.

Earlier I was helping Sofia sort out the marshmallows from her Lucky Charms. According to her, the cereal parts "are marshmallows waiting to happen, but they'll take a long, long time. And they're not so good tasting right now". So she sets them aside for later (much later I'm guessing).

As I watch her concentrated face and determined little hands, I fell in love with her all over again. And I said those three little wonderful words.....

"I....Like....You!"

"I like so much about you
I like how you eat only the marshmallows

I like the way you hide your eyes from me
I like when you sing and put on shows

I like the way you sit on my lap when I write
I like the way you itch your nose

I may not always like what you do,
But I will ALWAYS, like you.....

From your beautiful big head
to your teeny-tiny toes."

- Adam Stuart
Written for you Sofia while watching you separate marshmallows

(the last verse worked well with kisses all over her beautiful head and my fingers tickling her toes)



For the adult versus of saying "I Like You", go to "Saying 'I Like You So Much'" by clicking here.

To see the trouble taking all the marshmallows out of the cereal causes, go to "America Begins Again" by clicking here

"Singin' in the Rain" is on, and it's time to go. (Another old-fashioned value. If they want to watch Sponge-Bob Square pants, then by God and their father they will also watch the classics. And believe it or not, they not only like this musical but dance to the songs and become the characters. I'm Gene Kelly!!)

For the parent and romantic in you, check out "Singin' in the Rain" by clicking here.

Enjoy your evening, everybody! May it be spent in kisses and tickles.