by Julie Wood

Created on: May 08, 2008   Last Updated: May 15, 2008

A couple of years ago on a crisp fall morning my youngest daughter made one of those wonderful mistakes that parents treasure for years. One of those adorable childhood confusions that bring a smile to my face every time I am reminded of it.

Our back Yard is surrounded by trees and fall brings a deluge of leaves and twigs so we spend rather a lot of time clearing the lawn ready for the winter snowfall. My little one was busying herself collecting twigs and pine cones and was clearly engrossed in her job. After a while she announced that she had made a nest for her "Porcupines". She is the resident comedian so I assumed she was making a joke, laughed indulgently and thought nothing more of it.

It was only later that we heard her repeatedly refer to her porcupines as she admired wreaths decorated with pine cones, a bag of cones to add scent to a fire and added to her own little collection. She had confused pine cones with porcupines and was blissfully ignorant of her mistake. I found it rather endearing in a two year old and didn't have the heart to correct her. And so it continued until her older sister, the ripe old age of 6, enlightened her and explained the difference. I thought she would be crushed. Her expression wavered and my heart sank. Then her eyes lit up with her usual mischievous sparkle and off the girls ran together.

They busied themselves inside the house for quiet some time but eventually emerged with a whole host of pine cones sporting wobbly eyes, noses and decorated with ribbons and glitter. They were adorable little "Porcupines". Now we know exactly what to do with all the pine cones that we find in the fall, and our collection of porcupines grows each fall.

Learn more about this author, Julie Wood.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.