Monday, October 5, 2009

Fall Hiking

When in doubt, go outside.

The kids are as invigorated by the weather change as I am. We are hiking a couple times a week, along the lake front where we can find driftwood and fish carcasses to talk about, in the woods where there are mushrooms and fairy houses to see, in our back 40 (or 10, which it actually is) where we track the bird nests which are full or empty depending on the season, the snake migrations and collect deer bones.

Last week we went to a nearby state park and walked part of the way around a large lake. It was a treat for us all, and the kids played with the mushrooms and gave me heart attacks as they wended their way on the path bordered by a steep drop off into the lake with a fair bit of skill. A picnic at our halfway point and then we retraced our steps. I used to feel it was very important to make it all the way around a path/ lake/ circuit so we had Accomplished Something, but when I listened to the needs of the kids we toned it down and did some delicious backtracking. They don't understand the accomplishment of 'finishing'. They revel in welcoming old friends, like the rotting log they just climbed on, the giant mushroom they buried in leaves and now uncover, sloshing through the same river they've already sloshed through. If I follow their lead there are so few complaints, so many joys, such easy learning and being.

I don't know as much as I think I do.


Not so much joy here as panic as Pequita almost dropped my beloved and god-awfully expensive digital camera. Her first photo shoot - not bad framing for a kid who'll be three this Sunday, eh?

1 comment:

Grandma said...

Great job of picture taking, Pequita! Are you sure you're not going to be five instead of three. I loved the way Mommie and Monito looked so happy. Good job!