Tea Before a Storm After a Small Flood

As a result of the kids' toilet overflowing last night after an insane day, and due to the fact that our toilet plunger was probably 45 years old (believe me, this thing was ancient and is in now in the trash), I asked my dad to bring his turbo plunger over today. Since my mom was with my dad, Olivia took the opportunity to throw a tea party in honor of Grandma's spontaneous visit, right smack in the middle of the front yard. We don't have much of a back yard since we moved, but we actually like how the large front yard makes us feel more connected to the community. Anyhow, Olivia and Grandma had Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer Herbal Tea with Olivia's special "Olivia" tea set that she has had for many years. I think only one plate has a chip. Isaac and Grace, who were in that space between the garage and the house drawing with sidewalk chalk, soon became intrigued and desired to join. Olivia, generous as she is, wanted Grandma to herself and escorted her siblings across the driveway to another grassy area, not quite as charming. Isaac and Grace had their own party with the same tea, but they used the much less elegant plastic cups. However, they added orange juice, yogurt, and tiny cups of cereal to their mix. They moved to the concrete, since the grass was a bit too itchy for them. Maybe that's why they brought out Bandaids. Besides, bugs could be caught and examined more easily on the concrete. It was a good thing they all took advantage of that tiny interlude of sunshine, because soon enough it was raining again.

Personally, the rain has been so comforting to me as of late, and it brightens every color in a way that dryness just can't. The song That's what I love about Rain describes much of what I also love about the rain. I'm not sure who wrote the lyrics, but Tom Kimmel has the song on one of his albums. I couldn't even find a video of it on YouTube, but here are some of my favorite parts:

I love the rain

I love the way it falls on everything

The way it's turning brown to green, and gray to blue . . .

I love the sun

The way it shines on everyone

The way it makes the morning come, and colors true . . .

I love the rain

I love the way it washes something clean

Pushes rivers to the sea, to fall anew . . .