Just a squirrel on a branch

One of home schooling's beautiful moments:

Madison was in her room early in the morning, reading. I was downstairs, working.

She came into the room. "Come quick, mom, you have to see this, but be quiet and move slowly when you get to my room."

We lay on her bed with our heads at just the right angle, and we could see a squirrel outside in the freezing (FREEZING! 4 degrees!) cold, on a branch, eating a nut. His tail was curled back over the top of his back.

"I saw him digging for the nut. When he found it, he just ran up to that branch and he's been eating it ever since. I bet that nut tastes extra good, on such a cold, cold day, don't you think? At first, I thought he looked like a porcupine, because his tail was on his back like that, but then I realized he's a squirrel. Isn't he cute? Do you think he's cold? Why do you think he didn't bring it back to his nest...do you think he just wanted to eat it before any other squirrels noticed it?"

Then she stopped talking, and we watched the squirrel. Just watched, silently.

Then we went downstairs and ate breakfast. The pancakes tasted extra good, on such a cold, cold day.