Daisy had a low-grade fever this morning and just wanted to snuggle, so we decided to skip church and stay home. Chris played with Lily while Caleb, Daisy and I snuggled in bed and watched The Lego Movie. By the time the movie was over, I was feeling yucky from laying around so much, and I resolved to go up to the gym and hit the elliptical while the girls napped.
When naptime finally came around, though, Chris was busy caulking the crown molding and poor Caleb, who no longer naps, was at loose ends and desperate for something to do. I scratched my plans, and Caleb and I began Googling parks in the area with walking trails. We finally settled upon a nearby conservation area that Chris and I had often driven past, but never visited.
It was fantastic. The area had rough trails that were the perfect difficulty level for a cautious 5-year-old and an out-of-shape pregnant woman: challenging enough that I wouldn't tackle them with the little girls in tow, but nice and short. Caleb and I did the loop once, and he was pretty silent the whole time. I was afraid that he wasn't enjoying himself, but when we finished the loop, he asked, "Can we do it again?"
I replied that we could definitely come back again sometime.
"No, Mommy. Can we do it again right now?"
So we headed back and did the loop the opposite direction. This time, Caleb was chatty, excited, and bold. He led me on the trail most of the time, and seemed to relish the challenge of finding the trail when it was covered with fallen leaves. His favorite parts were a little waterfall, a rocky ledge where we stopped to throw rocks and acorns, and a rusty old piece of farm equipment we found hidden in the underbrush.
Of course, I didn't bring my big camera, but I snapped a couple of pictures with my phone.
So much fun! I'm so thankful when I get a chance to have one-on-one time with my kiddos, especially when it involves a special outing like this!
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