Strolling Together

We had declared this to be a rest day. The previous three days had involved two (yes, two!) trips to the zoo and a carnival. Our kids were done and we were too. Why is it, though, that when kids are tired they still insist on being energetic? Don't they understand the beauty of a nap? Or sitting and reading quietly? Geez.

We knew this going in to our declared-day-of-rest. Ben and I were prepared for the whining and the not-so-peaceful actions. When we saw that things were escalating a bit too much, we decided to step in and separate the kiddos. Treefrog and Fish had the "I'm going to clobber you to get you to do what I want" tiredness, so we knew that they needed separated. The toss up was Pillbug. Each boy individually dotes on her and so we Rock-paper-scissored for it, and Ben won the privilege of taking Pillbug with him. The three of them drove off to find us some local, raw honey (allergies are upon us full force, our normal honey-supplier is STILL. NOT. OPEN., and we are Desperate). Treefrog and I decided a stroll through the woods was in order.

The beauty of where we live is that we are within walking/biking distance of the grocery, post office, our church, and many friends, as well as The Canyon. The Canyon is part of the college campus and is a wooded area that is home to many paths, a creek, and a few wild life. One year we had a hawk that nested there. It is usually teeming with nutria and deer have been known to meander around as well. Today, we got a little taste of wildlife as I almost stepped on a snake. It was a garter snake (ours looked like the one in the top right corner of the link) and so there was no fear as it was just lying there. Treefrog decided to watch it for a while and so we stood while it slowly made its way across the path and into the dried leaves off the side. It was a peaceful few moments. He asked many questions about the snake (some answers I knew, some I said we would have to look up) and we did a search for the snake's possible home. Eventually Treefrog was ready to move on, collecting wood for his "campfire" in our backyard, and I realized that the kids' kind of restfulness is rejuvenating in its own way. I like strolling with my biggest little man.

p.s. The honey was only available in the gallon size. For $60. We are still honey-less.