Trip to the Park

I think we're finally getting a taste of spring! It was 60 degrees here today and I took the kids to the park as soon as I got home from work. We all enjoyed it -- after being stuck in the house for the majority of the winter, it was so nice to get outside. I think we've all missed our evening walks. Max and Molly were so thrilled that they just kept laughing and saying, "This is fun!" It seems that the slides and swings at the neighborhood park hadn't lost their appeal over the winter.

It's amazing how much the kids have grown and how their skills have developed over the last few months. Max totally rules the playground, but Molly is finally able to really climb around the play structure on her own. She needs a little boost here and there and a little monitoring, but she's able to climb and slide and romp on her own.

Since it's too early for the mosquitoes to be out, we enjoy walking through the trails in the little wood that borders the park. Max and Molly like to go on little nature hikes and see what beasties we can spy. There are a lot of logs in the woods, left over from the clearing of some dead ash trees. Max likes to pull the bark off of some of them and look at the bugs. And, of course, then whack at the logs with said bark. And, to Max's great delight, there is also no shortage of sticks along the trail. I don't know what it is about little boys and sticks, but they seem to be an unavoidable combination. Of course, my gut reaction every time he grabs a stick is to start screaming, "You'll put your eye out!!"

When it was ready to head home, everyone was happy and tired and dirty (always a successful combination). I think we're all looking forward to resuming our daily walks -- lets just hope the weather continues to cooperate! April snowstorms are especially heartbreaking after a few 60-degree days!