Geocaching II

The kids were sick all of mid August with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease.  Poor things were miserable for half a week each and contagious for almost another full week so we spent plenty of time bonding over popsicles, applications of coconut oil, and playing blocks and trucks by ourselves.  

They, understandably, also caught a bit of cabin fever after the most painful part of the sickness passed but we were still stuck home, alone and banned from playgrounds (where they might spread their germs).

One weekend afternoon we decided to try alleviating boredom with another geocache hunt in the park across the way.  It was all dirt trails through the woods to our target...beautiful and quiet.  Jon muscled the double stroller (filled with invalids) up and down the dirt bike paths, almost carrying it at one point to get across a too-narrow wooden walkway.  

But it was worth it (says the lady who did none of the carrying...).  Owen was so excited to be on a 'treasure hunt' that he forgot about his sore feet and walked much of the trail back.  The hour or so on the trails sparked his little boy imagination and got his mind off of the tedium of quarantine.

And Everly, she just loves the outdoors and was happy to sit quietly watching nature.    

Chef

Spices

Adding a pinch

I'm doing my best to ensure that our children become gourmet chefs.  Preferably before they turn 15...but I'll accept basic fare through 18 if I must.

Owen and Ever are no exceptions to the 'children like to be where you are, doing what you are doing' rule.  We spend lot of time together cooking.  Mostly spreading peanut butter and jelly or stirring oatmeal but occasionally we actually cook and I love when they mimic those movements in their play.

Owen made me this delicious soup from pool water and grass herbs and seeds.  It was superb.  Slightly earthy with just a hint of a vinyl finish and notes of feet.  mmm.

Fireman

So cool it was maybe too cool.

Just a tad intimidating.

 Except for this one...who is still too little to care about the bigness of things.  She was trying to stay in the truck forever.

Sand

Most days we travel only as far as we can walk.  

Turns out...we can walk pretty far.  

Some days we walk to a little island of sand and playgrounds near where Jon plays hockey.  

Our beach for this summer.

Spectacular concrete fossils are hidden underneath the dunes of the sand pit.  Paleontologist was on my list of top ten occupations when I was little (along with about 50 other things...there were a lot of ties) but I'm not sure Owen grasps the amazingness of this opportunity...though he's definitely taken with using the backhoe to move unlimited sand.

 

We get to this summer oasis via a winding set of trails that cut through the park.  We have to go early - before the pavement bakes and while the deeper forest is still cool and quiet rather than steaming and buzzing -so typically we are the first playground inhabitants.  It's a bit of a sanctuary for an hour or so before other kids come, rough and tumbling...and Owen slows and quiets around them.  But the kids bring toys - and sometimes this is incentive enough to push him past shyness into the realm of socialization...sometimes for long enough to be polite and friendly and actually speaks real words to them.  At least to ask for permission to use their toys or trade for a bit.

Eventually we head back - eating our packed picnic on the trail home.  By the time we return cheeks are flushed, hair is damp and eyes are just slightly vacant in that happy, tired, sandy way that I love so much.

Photos of Bees

 I usually carry my phone when we play outside.  Just in case I were ever to do something as absent-minded as lock myself out of the house.  Ahem.

Some days I make an effort to document little moments throughout the day.  Mostly they just end up stored forever on my harddrive and I'll scan through and marvel at how much we all have grown and changed.

Ever saw me trying to photograph the honey bees that are all over the patch of clover blossoms out back.  There are so many bees.  Everly tries to point out each one and would love nothing more than to pet them.  The bees are so single-minded in their pursuit of the flowers that I doubt they would even notice...but I try to keep cubby hands away from stinging insects whenever possible.

She mimicked my photo attempts with an old broken camera. 

Owen, naturally, wanted a try.  But with the REAL camera.  I have about 20 photos of his finger and delete 40 more.   

Can you spot Ever in the background?  She was pulling up the neighbor's flag.

Sweet curls.  I hope this little one stays brave out in nature.  That a few stings over her lifetime don't scare her inside (obviously assuming she's not allergic).   There are so many great principles to be learned from watching the natural world work - I try to point out what is apparent to me and stretch myself to see wisdom in places I'd normally discount.  I hope my non-brave areas (...spiders...) don't rub off.  Or better yet - that I find ways to appreciate the beauty they contribute.  

And then...

...I woke up and they both fit into the car-cart at the grocery store.

Praying Mantis

I probably should re-name this blog: "excessive amateur pictures of children and nature".

We spent the morning picking blackberries in our neighborhood.  It was already in the 90s at 9:30am but we felt compelled to stop for all the big bushes that grow by the lake path on our daily walk.

After all, we have been checking them for weeks now.

Some of the berries were enormous and dark black- yay!  I saw something move as I reached in for a giant berry and knew almost immediately that it was a praying mantis.  Just a small one - but there is something so distinctive about the way they move.

I grabbed my phone to see if I could get a picture.  It was too high on the bush and too deep in for Owen to get a look if I lifted him.  I was aiming blindly since it was hard to see with a bright glare on the screen - so I was happily surprised when I saw this shot.  The little bugger turned to look right at me - his jaws clamped down on his pesty meal.

See if you can spot him in two other attempts.