One of our favorite things to do as a family is hiking. Don’t get me wrong. It’s usually a battle to get the girls to wear anything appropriate for the weather, the trail, or just the general concept of putting sneakers on. There is much screaming and crying and searching the house for the necessary items to make this trek. Whining over what I’m bringing for snack and who’s going to have to carry the water bottle. No one wants a jacket.
But then we get to the trail and the kids bound out of the car and are unstoppable. They want to keep going and try the hardest parts of the trail. They run, they walk backwards, they stop to show each other things they find along the way.
These days, the hikes are even more precious. We have a parking lot for a backyard and no front lawn to speak of, and so our treks in the woods are a time for us to all have some space and fresh air.
We do this almost every night now.
But, if I’m being honest, I am loving this time to just relax with my kids. We fight about school work, and who gets more XBox time, and contemplate the more important issues of life, like what we’re going to be for Halloween this year (I don’t know, alright!?). We also hug more, say I love you more, and are ok with just being right now.
I’m feeling pretty blessed that our kids are at the ages they are for this. My husband is able to work from home, and while I will be out of work for the indefinite future, we will come through. We always do. We have weathered much worse than this.
In the meantime, we will allow the escape technology can give, find enjoyment in the simple things, be content with the mess, happy with the productive days, run with the spontaneous, and just breathe. Peace and blessings.
The Accidental Domestic Goddess 