Even Brynn's drawings of Momma have changed from the usual stick figure to stick figure with BIG belly. Here is what Brynn presented me with just yesterday. "Look, Momma! I drew you!"
I LOVE children's artwork, and I will especially treasure this masterpiece for so many reasons. I love the crazy hair, the fingers and toes, the big belly, and the SMILE! Through it all, she still sees me smiling...even through the discomfort and incredibly stretched belly. I rest assured, through prior experience, that this pumpkin in the womb WILL arrive and this body WILL revert to some semblance of normalcy again, but for now, I am treasuring this sweet drawing from our oldest daughter...this interpretation of how big she thinks this pumpkin in the womb will grow!
And, these little pumpkins? Well, they've grown quite a bit lately, too!
This past weekend, we ventured to Wilson's Apple Orchard once again this season after a surprise visit from Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt.
We were greeted not only by apples this time but, also, by many pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, and I began to reflect on the children's book, How BIG Could Your Pumpkin Grow by Wendell Minor. It's a fabulous children's book that states, "You never know where you might find giant monuments-and giant pumpkins. Be on the lookout when you travel. Use your imagination-and think big!" Throughout the book, children travel to fourteen different states to discover that giant pumpkins could be anywhere!
One of the stops in the book is Bemidji, Minnesota, to visit Paul Bunyan and Babe. Who is Paul Bunyan and why does he have a blue ox named Babe? The girls were very intrigued by this giant and ox, and they wanted to learn more. As we read the book again today, and they inquired about these mysterious characters, I began to soak in one of the joys of homeschooling...spontaneous learning. I can guarantee you that Paul Bunyan, Babe, and Bemidji, Minnesota, were NOT in my lesson plans for the day, but hey...why not add them? Off to the Internet we went to search for the legendary story of Paul Bunyan. Here is what we found:
The Story of Paul Bunyan: An American Folk Tale retold by Greg Worswick:
The girls really enjoyed listening to the American Folk Tale, and I thought that it was neat how the particular page in How BIG Could Your Pumpkin Grow? that referenced Paul Bunyan has now come alive for the girls. "The legendary Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, were giants too. They liked to think BIG! If they gave you giant pumpkin seeds, how big could your pumpkin grow?...Who knows? Isn't it fun to imagine giant pumpkins everywhere you go?" (Wendell Minor) Even this momma is imagining a giant pumpkin in her dreams. The doctors have informed me that I am on track for my biggest pumpkin yet, and how ironic that Pumpkin's arrival is scheduled for the BIGGEST pumpkin week of them all...HALLOWEEN!
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