Jones Gap is one of my favorite, favorite places in this world. It's just a good park with such accessible, beautiful hikes. (Sidenote: don't go in the fall on the weekend. It's just too crazy. You will be so disappointed.)
Since I love being outside and walking more than a lot, hiking is a natural love for me. I haven't done any big impressive hikes. Nothing like that. But my parents gave me lots of time on trails as a little one, and I still love to take a long walk in the woods. The kids are still so small for things like this. I'm hoping that all the little walks in such beautiful places will put the spark in the children for the same kinds of adventures.
I'm hoping that all the practice will practically help their brains and bodies develop as good gross motor skills do, that the colors and shapes they see will provide a framework for true beauty and that they will take really good, long naps for me :)
For now, we walk SO SLOWLY. I mean, I am sure you aren't imagining it correctly. Carter climbed on almost every single rock to stand resolutely, one hand shielding his eyes "from the sun" and peering out in to the distance saying, "I need to see what I can see!" Samuel walked along with his eyes trained on the leaves dancing above him and let his feet trip precariously over every single stick
and rock in his path. I reminded myself more than once that there was no time limit. There was no race. The walk WAS the point...to let them enjoy it
Ella rode absolutely happily in the ergo, swinging her legs and singing to herself. :) Occasionally, a boy would hand her a stick, unbeknownst to me, and I would suddenly find myself under the attack of a tiny enemy with a sharp stick who was tied to my back. I'm sure it was humorous to watch.
The boys picked up almost every stick that had fallen, discarding them only to retrieve bigger, better options. For the first forty-five minutes, Carter did carry a couple of water bottles, a diaper and wipe and a handful of granola bars in his backpack since I was toting Ella. Really, he would need a better backpack that didn't slip off so easily for this to work for a whole hike. I was grateful that he was willing to do the work for awhile though!
Every map or sign had to be thoroughly examined before moving on, though we were basically walking along a single, well-marked path. All the trail side camping spots made me look forward to the day we can backpack together. I love this baby phase more than most...but I know there are fun things in the horizon as these tiny ones grow.
There was lots of climbing and jumping...and thankfully, no falling.
There was also lots of concern on Carter's part that we were lost. I think he has a little bit of a complex concerning my sense of direction. I finally had to make a rule about not asking about our directional state any more. It was relentless!
Samuel must have gotten tired, but if he did, he never complained. He did ask to hold my hand for the last 2/3rds or so of the hike. I didn't mind obliging...though between the discarded backpack in one hand, his hand clinging to the other, and Ella on my back, I did start to fill like a bit of a pack mule.
The river was rushing and beautiful because of all the rain we have had recently. This meant that there were LOTS of wet spots on the trail to traverse. The boys legs....are just so short. And their balance...is still pretty basic. In summary...their tennis shoes got wet. Really, really wet. Thankfully, they didn't' seem to care an ounce about this. I would have, so I was relieved when everyone seemed perfectly content to slosh about in wet shoes.
We stopped for a snack...obviously this was a favorite moment for the crowd. I am grateful that no matter what comes in this season of life, I can pretty much count on snacks to bring up the happy-meter by at least ten notches.
Overall, it was a pretty simple morning and the kids did really well for a first "real hike." There's still a lot of improvement and practice and growing and time between us and exploring for hours and hours in the great wilderness.
But we were outside, together, the sun was shining, the leaves were bright and the river was running fast and beautiful. What more could I ask for?
I had opted to leave the lunch in the car so we didn't have to tote anything extra. We pulled the lunch supplies down by the river and the children inhaled everything I packed in minutes. By the time I loaded them all in the car and found the main road, everyone was sound asleep and I had a quiet ride back home, which was the best since I was totally spent. I realized later that I had run a fever a good deal of the hike without understanding why I was so cold and tired...and it made me feel better to realize there was a reason I was so wiped out after such a short walk :)
There was plenty of helping and mothering and correcting and work on this one little hike, much like, you know, everything and everywhere and all the time. I think I forget, pretty often, not to be annoyed by this. I think I forget a good deal that THIS is parenting. All the correcting and teaching and helping and working all the time...this is what it is. The enjoying part...and harvest, I guess, is to come later, but there is good to enjoy in the sowing, the weeding, and the working toward the reaping. And really, the bulk of the time is spent here in the dirt of the spring and summer of parenthood. I don't want to miss the beauty in the work wanting to avoid toil. I don't want to forget the good IS the work and that it is not only good, but holy and sacred.
Yep. Holy and sacred. And normal and exhausting. Together.
Parenting. Hiking.
Life.
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