It never seems like a good idea, right at first, when I want to take the family on a nature walk. I often want to strike out someplace new, since we've only been living in this city for two years and there's still lots we haven't done yet. But with a three and a half year old, it seems at first like there won't be enough to hold her attention, and she often immediately wants to go home when we arrive, as she notices there are no playgrounds in sight.
But then we walk awhile, and Daddy and I point out interesting sounds and sights. She gets to run up ahead on the trail and report back what she sees, she gets to pick up sticks and poke in the dirt, and maybe we see a bird or an animal of some kind. Sometimes we cross a bridge or walk through a more wooded area, or up a big hill and get caught unawares by a new view.
And then I remember, this is why I always want to take nature walks. Because of adventure, newness, running out all that energy, learning something new, and finding a new reason to love doing things as a family. I do love seeing things through her eyes.
Yesterday I taught Maeve how to play Pooh Sticks, a very important game in our family. She loved it, of course, and even won a couple of times. It was such a beautiful day.
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