strolling

I feel good about the activity I've gotten this past weekend and week. On Tuesday night after dinner, the boys and next-door neighbor and I took a walk to a little pond and playground in our neighborhood. I had to carry Xander part of the way, and I let Zack and Lanaysia run ahead so I could walk faster. We played on the swings for a little bit, then I challenged them with a little obstacle course. They had to go up the ladder, down the slide, around and under the slide, through the tunnel, over the picnic table benches, in and out of the swings and back to the picnic shelter to tag the pole. I even timed them. Then it was my turn of course! We ran part of the way home and caught a couple of fireflies.

Two things struck me about this walk. When I was little and would play outside with my neighbor, her mom would always have us stand with our arms and legs spread out to put bug spray on us. I remembered this clearly as I was putting bug spray on Lanaysia. Then I realized that I' the mom!! The second thing that struck me was when we finally got back to our street and were coming up the hill. The boys were dawdling, so I said let's race. And right there, running up the cul de sac with my two older boys is when I realized how much fun I was really having.

Tonight, sort of last minute, the other little boy got to go for a walk with Mommy. He sat in the stroller talking to the trees and chewing on his fingers the whole time, but he didn't fall asleep, until now, when I've been holding him and typing this post with one hand.