9:30 am – Trikes race, swings fly, granite pestles grind and pound spices into dry oatmeal, castles are constructed, the girls’ fort invites in a few boys, a wild bowling game is invented while in the distance dark storm clouds gather. Not to worry. A little rain never stops the Seedlings!

10:45 am – The muffin makers pile in. No pumpkin, but we do have bananas! Gabriel whisks those lucky bananas into a creamy blend of wet ingredients. Luke leads the way with the dry while Seishi tastes a pinch of sugar. Brooke, Lia, Rylan, Seishi and Gabriel fill six pans full and off they go to the oven.

11:00 am – “Come on, we’ve got to get everything out of here so they can clean our floors.” THE MOVE starts with Kevin and a few others with years of experience. “Let’s get the blocks!” The hollow blocks head out the door. Soon a dozen, then all 24 Seedlings are trailing back and forth like a powerful ant column. A five-year-old carries out a play stand three times his size. One of the two-year-olds follows with one orange pom pom. All the little ones claim the pillows. Some are so large they completely envelope the children and look as though they’ve sprouted little legs for marching off to their overnight home. Their eyes shine, their muscles revel in the realness of the work. Their bodies dance, their laughter sings softly (so as not to disturb a “grandma and grandpa” class just yards away from the moving scene.) Twenty minutes later and the job is done. Two rooms have moved into one, the floors await their much-needed scrub down and waxing.

Everyone runs outside to build a sand pile to the moon.

Noah takes my hand and says, “What about the muffins?”

Oh no, I forgot all about the muffins!

As the door opens, we smell the sharp, sour aroma of seriously burnt banana muffins.

48 little eyes search mine…

“Not to worry,” I whisper. My pockets are full of—- blueberry muffins! And a couple of pumpkin pies in my back pocket and way down deep- a lemon poppy seed cake. Everyone has at least two of everything.

12:00 noon – With full bellies and satisfied smiles, our powerful ant colony hurries off home with their moms, just as the storm begins to bellow and blow.

 

© Susan Caruso and Sunflower Creative Arts, 2011