Oak Tree in an Acorn: Austin Family Connections

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Austin Family Connections

We met Nicole and Celeste for a fun playdate at Family Connections before Nicole starts her new job in June. Family Connections has a nice sized book library as well as a really appealing toy library. Unfortunately it is a little bit far from Cedar Park, so I didn't want to check anything out and then not be able to get it back by it's due date (I know myself too well!), but I was tempted to check something out just for the novelty of trying out a toy library.

Staci Gray performed some of her original songs as well as old favorites like "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Old MacDonald"; she also read a couple of Dr. Suess stories for the storytime element. The kids danced and sang, and Celeste crawled and crawled. She would have crawled right up there and strummed that guitar, I think! :)

Then, there was the bubble mosh pit finale with pepperment scented bubbles. Too cool and best of all it was free!

Austin is such a great place to raise kids and we are so happy to have family nearby to share these moments with.

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Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.