Rainbows

On Wednesday, Sam was in child care while Jeff and I took the bigger kids to the aquarium. It was so much easier with only three kids and a second adult that the first time I took all four on my own. After we got home and had our naps, I went with the kids on their bikes to collect Sam from child care.

As soon as we left the house Anna spotted the beginnings of a rainbow. As we got closer to the child care, the rainbow got longer and then shrunk again so it was just disappearing when we go there. There was lots of discussion about it “glowing” and “growing”. After we had collected Sam, we went across the road to the big park for a play but it started to sprinkle so we decided to head home again. As we got back across the road, we turned for one last look at the park, and what did we see? The most magnificent double rainbow ever! The kids were just awestruck and despite the rain we stood there for several minutes admiring them, and naming colours etc. I asked Abigail whether she thought they were pretty. She said “no” very solemnly, and my heart dropped. But then she added, “They’re handsome!”

Then we turned around again (towards the sea) and looked at the sky that way. The sun was hidden behind dark clouds but there were brilliant sun rays above and below the cloud bank, and off to the right there was what looked like a tunnel in the cloud through which a whole stream of light was pouring out. Another simply magnificent sight! Joshua came out with the following appreciative comment: “God has made the sky beautiful for us.”

When we got home I had them all sit down and draw what the had seen. Joshua’s is great (rainclouds and all), and Anna’s is very well done also, especially as I didn’t give her any help other than talking her through remembering the colours.