A Lady Named Larry ;-)

This, my friends, is Larry... Larry, the painted lady butterfly. Sweet Larry was discovered during today's Mom-and-Bear nature walk. (Bear, of course, is not a literal bear, though he can be quite grizzly in the mornings. Ha! No, Bear is our bug-loving youngest son, affectionately called Boo Bear - or Bear Man - ever since he wrapped his tiny, pudgy toddler arms around our necks in some legendary bear hugs when he was just a wee tyke.)

I love my Bear, and he loves all manner of insects... this particular critter, for a change, didn't make me squirm. ;-)

I'm typing this quick post because I want to remember my 8-year-old Boo Bear. He's fantastic. He tells me when my lipstick is too pink (which would be most days), and he tells me when I'm trying too hard to be the cool mom (again, probably most days)... but he also collects flowers for me on a weekly basis, insists that I wear his coat when it's chilly outside, tells me that my new hat is pretty, and frequently draws pictures that are addressed to "The Best Mom Ever" (swoon, right?). He's bright and engaging, generous and affectionate, sensitive and kind, and easily the most talkative kid in our family. And, because I have five minutes to spare right now, I want to jot down these memories of today's adventure with Boo:

While we strolled along the Poudre River this afternoon, he taught me about executioner wasps and bullet ants (I'd never heard of either), and he proudly declared that he's "punny" after he shared a series of puns that were surprisingly funny. He held the car door open for me, and he rescued little Larry from certain death (Larry was obviously injured and unable to move out of the path of speeding cyclists). He tightened his flip flops so that he could show me how fast he runs (total boy!), and he walked barefoot along the riverbank (again, total boy). He noticed the abundance of flowers, the mud nests of the cliff swallows, and the reflection of the clouds in the river. He talked a mile a minute, and - you guessed it - I loved every second of those minutes.

I cherish our conversations. I treasure our walks. I simply LOVE my Boo Bear. And I love that he is ALWAYS carrying a stick in the great outdoors. THESE ARE THE DAYS. Beautiful, glorious days with my sweet family. I'm grateful for these simple adventures!