One Blue Button, 13 Green Frogs and 2 Yellow Lilies

Miss Lauren ( who informed me today that her title should be Princess Queen, leaving me without a job I think ) got to button pick today. On the ride to school we discussed her find. " Blue like the sky, like the water, like nothing you eat, light not dark, smooth not bumpy, the exact color of her back pack! " This button has swirls and two holes and was going to Kindergarten with Lauren who had no pockets but does have two hands - one for the button the other for everything else. Her job today was the little circle of joy which now she decided had two eyes and a mouth and a nose - mine was to find 13 frogs in the lily pond at the greenhouse.
I walked her in with the bigger than life back pack on and the blue button in her hand and then I headed to work.
It was a chilly morning heralding autumn and I pulled my sweatshirt close as I scoped out the surface of the water for eyes. 10 pair, not 13,. and two lily buds closed tight as Lauren's fist I noted.
I set up where the sun should be, sipping coffee, finding my place in my book on CD and began weeding. The sky remained overcast and the air cool. The pup romped on the hill before settling down with a bone.
Every little while as the day warmed, I circled the pond which has a flat stone perimeter about knee height checking for frogs. 10. 8. 6. 9. Most would sit quietly as I approached, some would dive under right away. One bold amphibian sat arching upward toward the bees on tall flowers above while the pup, less than a yard away, drank greedily from the refreshing water. The dog lapped, the bees buzzed, the frogs croaked and the lilies began to open-a pure, pale yellow peeking through the vibrant green buds.
It was just before lunch that I hit the jackpot! 8 pair of eyes in the water well camouflaged among the lily pads but findable and 5 on the ledge. BINGO I thought and smiled as I checked on the water plants expectantly. And sure enough, the lilies had opened completely. Such a magnificent site. Such a perfectly peaceful yellow perched in the water filled with leathery leaves and all those wide open eyes.
I hoped Lauren was having as much fun with the blue button at school as I was having at "work"today.