Waldorf Dolls

Christmas has come and gone and the new toys have found their new homes. It's such a great feeling to clear out the living room after such an epic explosion happens, don't you agree? Every year I make my boys something. Last year I made them quilts, this year I made them Waldorf dolls and Ergos. My boys are ages (almost) 3 and 5 1/2. I thought it was the perfect time to make these dolls for them because they would know to be gentle with them. Let's be honest, these dolls take HOURS to make. I also hand made their clothing, so add even more hours to the equation.

They were both elated when they opened the boxes Christmas morning. Hugs happened and names were given. Hudon's doll: Stripey, Nolan's: Elf.

Naturally!

The night before Christmas my husband said "don't be disappointed if the boys don't play with their dolls, you just never know." And I had no expectations. Actually, I expected for them to lay on the floor and then be picked up, by me, and then I would have to find them a new home just like I did with all the other toys. I was completely fine with that. But the opposite has happened. The boys LOVE these dolls. I think a lot of their Love comes from the fact that I made them. They are elated when I make them things and are so sweet about it. But it actually goes a bit further. They actually really love them. They change their clothes at bedtime, they give them random kisses, my wonderful mother bought Nolan a stroller and they stroll them around.. They actually take care of them. Except for the first 10 minutes after opening the doll, Nolan took an orange marker to "her" head. Luckily I have a spot remover that works magic!

Here comes the interesting bit about this topic. Some people actually have a hard time digesting boys and dolls. Call me crazy but I just don't get it. I believe it is important to teach our kids about how to be with babies and how to care for them. The hope is that one day they will be father's of their own and will have to actually take care of a baby. The fact that we distinguish that a doll is a "girls" toy speaks volumes about our culture and our perception what is the woman's role and the man's. I, however, don't see it this way and luckily, my husband doesn't either. My husband has spent hours carrying our children, feeding them, strollering them, etc. I do know that children like to imitate their parents, and I see my boys and their dolls and they are imitating the good men/fathers that we have in this world.

It will be reassuring to me when boys can stop imitating these guys:

And start imitating this guy:

Here's to our future co-sleepers!

Toys for Tots

This afternoon I was looking for stocking items at our local gift store. I happened upon the PlayMobil section. They have a massive amount of PlayMobil and my almost 6 year old is starting to like playing with these toys. I looked around to see if anything would spark my interest, but instead, I saw this toy with this caption.

"Watch out. The bank robber is after all the money in the bank and is demanding the key to the safe- what will the bank manager do? With thirty accessories like files, a computer, a safe and gold bars to create a realistic bank scene, there's plenty to do in the Playmobil bank. Insert the card into the cash machine to withdraw bank notes and open the doors of the safe to reveal the gold bullion inside.

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 Not suitable for children under 4 years due to small parts.

I love that PLAYMOBIL is concerned about children possibly choking on small parts, so therefore, deeming this gun robbery scenario as not suitable for children under 4. HOWEVER, this woman, holding a gun at a bank teller, and demanding money.. perfectly suitable for your 4 year old. There are many things wrong with this product, but one that mostly struck me as horrendous was the age recommendation of 4-10. Do we really want our 4 year old children to be introduced to such things at this age. A time when they have the ability to use their imagination in a positive way. Why is there this push and need to show our toddlers violence? If you were in a bank, and a woman showed up in dark sunglasses and a gun and requested all the banks money, don't you think your child would be pretty upset? This type of imagery is unacceptable in our world of already too much violence. 

Furthermore, PLAYMOBIL is a German company.  In Germany, the German Weapons Act was put into law in 1972. It includes, and modifies, previous gun regulation laws. It regulates the handling of knives, firearms and ammunition. It is considered as one of the strictest gun laws in the world. 

However, this company felt it completely fine to make a toy like this. Shame on you PLAYMOBIL!

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A little more about their philiosophy as a company.

From PLAYMOBIL'S website they state: 

"The imaginative role play opportunities integrated with a variety of historical and modern play themes is fascinating to children and highly valued by parents and educational practitioners alike."
 
"PLAYMOBIL®’s unique play principle stimulates imagination and creativity and thus promotes child development. With PLAYMOBIL®, children can not only slip into many different roles, but also recreate and experience the world in miniature. With multiple talents, these cheerful figures successfully overcome all kinds of challenges – as knights or pirates in historical scenarios, as construction workers, vets and police officers today, or as secret agents in futuristic worlds."

It's nice to know that this "cheerful" bank robber can successfully overcome all kinds of challenges. Too bad that the poor bank teller will probably have to spend the rest of his life in complete fear that a blonde woman with glasses could possibly hold him up at gun point again. Too bad he will have challenges in sleep and trust. Ahhh.. maybe they need to have a follow up to this toy.. I see a bank teller and a therapist!

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I asked the store that I was in, "Why are you carrying this product?" The owner didn't even realize that this product was so violent. He said "they had to purchase a set" That set included a police man, the robbers, and some other police and swat figurines. After a lengthy discussion with him about how we need to protect children from this imagery and types of play at such a young age, he agreed to contact PLAYMOBIL and discuss returning these items. He also let me know that they received the item in July, and have yet to sell 1 unit. Thank you Ashlanders for not purchasing this toy!

I understand that there will be a lot of people that are completely fine with this product, but I ask "when do we draw the line?" No one wants to be held up at a bank, right? That would not be fun. When will we demand that toy makers not rip the imaginations of children and inundate them with images of violence? Will PLAYMOBIL go as far to have a school setting one day with a gunman? That sounds crazy, right? Well doesn't this seem crazy too?

Finding my way back

Just like with anything, there are times when we just need a break. I needed that break. I needed to escape from the online world for a bit, gather my thoughts and decide if I wanted to continue with my "need" for sharing things about my life. At times I find myself wondering how much I really want to share with readers about how we live our lives. Then there are other times, when I feel so overly compelled to share. 

It's my nature to be a "sharer." 

I am looking forward to bringing more things to this blog space. A sharing of my continued journey into Waldorf education, my shifting and enlightening moments of child rearing, and much more. I am also going to be guest blogging over at Fertile Foods and hope that you will join me over there. 

As I near my next birthday (this Saturday), I am finding such an excitement surrounding these endeavors as I have made another trip around the sun. 

“A healthy social life arises when the whole community finds its reflection in the mirror of person’s soul, and when the virtue of each person lives in the whole community.” -Rudolf Steiner

Keeping music alive in school.

Last week I walked through the doors of the Siskiyou School (our local Waldorf grades school). I walked down the hall and I heard the most wonderful voices gracing the halls. The teacher playing the piano and the students singing the song "Down to the River to Pray" Have you heard this song? It is part folk with a hint of church choir. It was magical. I closed my eyes for a minute and listened to the kids. Singing it so gracefully and I felt for a minute this magical moment of awareness and calm. The beauty of that moment made me so grateful that there are still schools that value the wonderful gift of music. My life stood still if only for a moment to hear what felt like a moment walking down the aisle of a beautiful cathedral.

Here is the song, sung by Alison Krauss, in case you are not familiar..

The town is our art studio

Last night I told my husband, "With all these changes in our lives (school and me working a bit) I am giving myself a free pass on coming up with my toddler homeschooling curriculum." He said "Oh, that's understandable." I said, "Yea. next week I will be on top of it."

Well, that's just not how I am, you see. Today it started and it felt so good. While my oldest child is in kindergarten, I do a "homeschooling/unschooling/coolschooling" Whatever you want to call it! With my 2 1/2 year old. I try to spend our limited hours together by doing things that are enriching. I desperately try to keep all errand running to "off" days.

Today was painting in the park. He chose the fountain in our glorious Lithia Park. Such a beautiful place to pull out our paper and paints. It's amazing to sit and talk to a toddler about their painting. I loved watching him concentrate on his color selection, his dedication to moving the brush over his paper. He would tell me how he was "making a sunset" "over a barn" and a "creek was running through the barn." Some times, the best moments I have with him are when I shut my own mouth and just let him talk freely. I snapped a few pics of us at the early part of our painting. I soon joined him in a delightful, yet Scorching Hot day of painting in the park.

 

 

One of the best things I find about painting is the easy ability to take it anywhere. I find my boys love it when they are in nature and sitting with a good paintbrush and paper.

Welcome my tiny tot to your own chance with Mama's school of easy learning :)

 

(please do not take images or content to use on your own site or project, without my permission. Thank you.)

A mother's perspective on Waldorf Education

 

Today was my oldest sons first day of Kindergarten. I feel like we have finally found the best place for him school wise. As we walked through the gate, the kids were grinding grains as the teachers were welcoming the children to the day. I took in the surroundings: big trees over the children, protecting them from the sun, beautifully carved, rounded furniture for the little ones to sit on. I saw two teachers working gently with the children while welcoming the kids and parents to school. I saw children working together so peacefully. As I walked away, my son yells out to me "Love you Mommy!" I walk away knowing that he will have a day that will be filled with magical enlightenment. 

On the same note, I am filling out his application for the local grades Waldorf school. We are talking first grade already! One of the questions is about our Relationship To Waldorf Education. I laughed when you can add additional pieces of paper for this answer. My husband and I joked, "do you think they mind 10 pages worth!?!" As I start to gather my thoughts on what Waldorf Education means to our family, I get to thinking about what wonderful opportunities this form of Education has already offered my children (and myself).

 

As I have evolved as a parent, it is with Waldorf that I have found the most inner beauty of myself. My friend recently said to me "you parent with such passion, the way you did as a wedding planner." I thought to myself, yes, that is true. When I have passion for something, I fully embrace it. I have always been one to be passionate: be it about saving whales when I was younger, to wedding planning as an adult, or how to parent my children. I believe that the most important thing, above any Education philosophy, is how you parent. That we, as parents, have to evolve, always learn and to always be available to our children. I am just lucky that there is also an Education philosophy that helps further my love of my children.

 

It's been about 4 years that I have been "studying" Waldorf and Steiner. It first started with our views on television and media with children. I have always been very anti media for children, and I started to research on things that I could do with my then 18 month old. I started reading more and more about Waldorf and started the discussions with my sister in law during our weekly knitting group. It all sounded so fascinating and I wanted to know more. I started reading the typical books: You are Your Child's First Teacher, Over The Rainbow Bridge, Heaven on Earth, and Last Child in the Woods. I was a sponge and wanted to do whatever I could to make certain that I was providing the best childhood for my child. As time went on, I would say I was following "Waldorf" pretty well at home. We were gardeners, organic food eaters, we didn't have media, we were living lightly on the planet, I was staying home, we were providing a gentle childhood for our son. The first thing we worked on was "rhythm" Establishing a gentle, no hurried life for my son was one of the best gifts I learned from Waldorf Education. We (I) learned how to slow down and really breathe in the beauty of every day. It was a pure joy to be able to share my time and life with my son and it started to no longer feel like "work."

My true passion for Waldorf started when I moved to Ashland. My son was 2 and I was pregnant with our next. Our life here was shaping up and I started to meet more and more people associated with Waldorf. My love for making things continued and blossomed into a little bit of work. I worked very hard on our family rhythm and preparing my son for the baby that would be entering into our family. My husband and I decided early on that I would remain at home with our children. That I would be their main source of love, security, and up bringing for the crucial years of birth to 7. We let our materialistic selves come to peace with a one income household. We adjusted our lives to make certain that I was always able to stay home.

It wasn't always roses though. When my son was 3 (the new baby now had entered into our lives) I found myself very frustrated with my son. I had provided a very safe and secure life for him and I was the only person he wanted. When I started preschool with him, we struggled and struggled. One day I was dropping him off for summer camp (now he is 4) and the head of the camp was his babysitter. I swore there was no way this could fail. But it did. He only wanted to be with me and his brother. I was angry that my child was unable to go to camp, go to school, be away from me. I had gotten what I ultimately wanted, but now I just wanted a little more freedom. This anger was unsettling in me and I set forth realizing that my child was not going to change and that I needed to. I had to find a way to communicate with him and be more understanding and loving to his needs. I didn't have the son that ran off waving good-bye to his mama. But I did have a son that was so full of love for me and wanted to be with me at all times. This was a good thing!

Since my son was 3 (he's now 5 1/2) I have continued and expanded on my love for Waldorf and Rudolf Steiner. I spend my evenings reading and learning more about his philosophies. From Education to Bio-Dynamic farming, to Anthroposophy. No. I am not attending school to study because my children are so young, but I try to consume as much as I can from literature, teachers, elders, and the like. I attend every conference near to here and am setting forth on a slow mission to become a Certified Early Childhood Waldorf educator. The one thing I love is being present with my children. To paint with them, to build with them, to bake with them, to be with them.

I have seen what this form of Education can provide. My two sons are very gentle beings. They have extreme concentration and a real love for nature. They are full of wonder. They are well mannered, well spoken, and well behaved. They have extensive imaginations. They have self discipline and full hearts. They are empathetic and lovely. They are a direct product of having Waldorf in the home and I couldn't be more proud or happier.

I have been so lucky to have gotten a very small job at the Siskiyou School. I am doing the after school program and two days in and I am so happy. To walk in through the doors of a school that I am so happy to be a part of, it feels like my life is on the exact path it needs to be. Surrounding myself with individuals that value educating the whole child; hand, heart, and head! To meet them, to talk to them, and get to know them is only furthering my passion for this philosophy. 

Such a small bit about my experiences thus far. A mother's perspective. I only hope they grow to value education, value each other and themselves. 

 

Back to School

 

All of the sudden, summer is nearing an end and everyone is chatting about Back To School. Carpool's are being set, school supplies bought, and thoughts of transitioning to a new rhythm are entering. A part of me is ready for this shift and a part of me is sad to see another summer pass.

Tonight at dinner my boys were talking about school starting and it dawned on me just how sad I anticipate my 2 year old to be. Their conversation went like this:

Nolan: "Huddy, I will really miss you when you go to school."
Hudson: "Do you want me to make you something every day?"
Nolan: " Yes, I want you to make me a bracelet, that will be very nice. Thanks!"

A sweet conversation with their sweet little voices and tears started to swell up in my and Adrian's eyes. The sweetness and love between these two makes me so happy that they have one another.

As these days slip by I am reminded to love each day of summer as it is still here. There is no need to talk so much about the impending change that is heading near.

I just came across this post.. kind of funny, written aug 2009

First, let me start off with a disclaimer.. if you think that television is suitable for children under 2 then this post is not really for you.. if you choose to read it.. then know that I am a firm believer in a non-television induced parenting style.

So it goes... today I am under the weather. My head is pounding, my sinuses hurt, I am tired and I just do not feel like playing today. If you are a stay at home parent and you know how every day is consumed with the same mundane play time.. then you know how it is.. you cannot be sick... you cannot lounge around the house, lay your head on a pillow and just drift off into sickie sick sleep. I did not want to read about the Hungry Caterpillar again, I did not want to read about the bread making hen once more, I did not want to build a tower today.. I just wanted to have silence and stillness in a house with a rascally and somewhat recovering sick almost 16 month old boy.. is that too much to ask? Well yes.. it is.

So I did it.. I booted up the Cookie Monster on youtube.. I sat Huddy in his chair.. and let the wonderful world of our version of tv work its magic. This was not meant to be an experiment.. it was meant to provide me with 2 minutes of peace and quiet and if it worked.. then maybe another 2 minutes.. and then maybe another.. cause it could not really hurt, right?

Well what I saw was unbelievable. This was Huddys first real exposure to television. He became a zombie. There was no life, no expression, no nothing in my television watching baby. A baby that runs from room to room all day.. making towers, reading books, causing havoc, singing, dancing, and much more. He was consumed by the Cookie Monster.. he saw no reason to move, to be engaged, to be creative, to be anything.. just a viewer. When the 2 minutes were over he screamed MO MO MO and when I told him it was ALL GONE.. he threw a major tantrum..And people wonder why kids have a hard time being engaged in the classroom, to learn, why we are medicating beyond belief for things like attention deficit disorder.. maybe it is because kids spend too much time having images forced into their faces.. their brains working at rapid speeds to figure it all out.

I got what I wanted.. I got silence..Lack of movement in my cloudy head.. AND I will never do it again.. It is going to be a long day.. I might have to endure a little more crying than usual from Huddy because Mama is moving a bit slower than usual, and that clock is really not moving fast enough to get us to 6pm.. but I tell you.. Huddy will not be sitting in front of the computer losing his ability to engage and imagine..


So, I ended to giving Huddy a ton of utensils that he does not usually play with and a plastic container.. for the past 30 minutes he has played with them with such a delight.. and I must go because he is trying to feed me some of his imaginary soup...

The end of this chapter..

This past week we were vacationing in the Redwoods. Three boys and a mama all cuddled up in a tent together to experience the great outdoors. The trip was amazing and both sad for this mama. You see, Nolan turned 2 1/2 on the 4th. That's not the sad part, that part is that he stopped nursing that day also. I started to notice that he was leaning towards self weaning but he was still pretty consistent at home. As the days went on and he continued to not ask for "Nursie", I knew that we had ended that chapter.

I don't know if I was quite ready for this change, but I welcomed it to happen at any time. 2 1/2 years of nursing created such a nurturing and magical bond with my sweet boy. Our very own special moments spent together. 

Knowing that he is our last child, I can't help but weep just a bit as he takes his first big step into becoming more of his own self. A boy of such passion and charisma. A boy that makes everyone laugh. A boy with such a heart of gold and a great way with words. Just this evening he told me "mommy I don't like your shirt, but I like you." I asked him why he didn't like my shirt, he says "because I don't and that's enough of that." 

That funny boy of mine.

Other famous quotes from him:

"I am a working machine!"

"I am a pooping machine!"

 Us: "Nolan, what's your name" Nolan "Alpapa Zack Nick"

 Nolan: "I don't like the ocean, I don't like big trees, I don't like the wind"

Nolan: "I am going to get in my sleeping bag now and cry." 2 seconds later.. fake cry.

SmartKlean Product review

Have you heard of this laundry ball? From their website, this is how it works:

General Function
The laundry ball is filled with four types of mineral-derived ceramic beads and two magnets, each performing different cleaning functions. When these components come in contact with water, they form ‘oxygenated’ water with an increased pH level and an ability to eliminate germs and bacteria. The result is fresh, safe and clean laundry!

Through a chemical process, detergents make surfaces more susceptible to water, and increase the pH levels, making it easier for the water to remove the dirt from the fabrics. The downside is that most of the chemical ingredients used to achieve this are toxic to your health and the environment.*

The SmartKlean Laundry Ball uses an innovative technology designed to clean fabrics through a physical process instead. On a molecular level, the water is entirely affected by its special mineral ceramics, offering a natural and powerful wash.

You simply just put it in your washer and you can leave it there for every wash. At times I will add a few drops of lavender essential oil if I am wanting my clothes to smell like something.

I was feeling guilty about the massive amount of laundry detergent I was buying so I started researching alternatives. I have been using the SmartKlean laundry ball for 2 months now and LOVE it. My clothes are really clean and it gets any smells out easily. I still use a stain remover for stubborn stains, but for the most part the ball does the trick. 

This ball lasts for 365 loads!! 

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to post this review.

Talking Gay Marriage with my son.

Today my 5 year old asked me about his friend who has two momma's

H: "Mommy, why does he have two mommy's"
Me: "Because that's his family."
H: "Are his mommy's married?"
Me: " Not yet, but hopefully soon."
H: "Well if they love one another and they love their son, then why aren't they married like you and daddy?"
Me: "I know honey, it's complicated, but we are working on that."
H: "Well I think they will be married soon. They are such good mommy's."

I can't help but have this song stuck in my head all day. A huge fan of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, I am so happy that this song graces the screens and radio. It's time to Rise Up! Equality for All.



I am so happy that I am able to raise my children with such tolerance.  They will grow up in a house and surrounded by individuals that don't preach hate and that welcome all races and support the love and rights of all individuals. I grew up in Middle America. Always kind of the black sheep, I never understood how someone could hate another based on the color of their skin or their preference of whom to love. I remember days when I was in junior high and I watched the Ku Klux Klan walk past my school. How could that even be a part of our world? I grew up hearing words of hate towards gay men and women. Aren't we a population of people who all deserve the right to love whomever? Who am I to tell someone who they can spend their lives with.  The first time I visited San Francisco as an adult was the day of the Pride Parade. I was so excited to be a part of this. To feel that the prejudice that I grew up around was not surrounding me. I loved the free feeling I had that day!

I love being part of a time that I hope for great changes. I am excited for the hope of my friends being able to legally marry. I am excited that my boys will learn from me that love is a feeling, that they are not to judge.  I am happy that I had the courage to not listen to my surroundings and felt with my inner self to decide what love meant. That everyone deserves the right to love without scrutiny and prejudice.

I am happy to have a son that sees this too.

"Mommy? Will you always be my best friend?"

(Hudson age 2 months)

Recently I've been telling Hudson a story every night. Not one from a book, but an impromptu-make-you-laugh story. It's funny when you let your mind go, where it will take you. There have been little boys climbing on clouds, fishing in coconut water, and sometimes (because I'm a little boy at heart at times) the stories involve a little bit of poop. Yea! That's right, potty humor! Wheee! 

Tonight, as I finished my latest story, and Hudson was giggling so hard he said "mama, I almost peed my pants that was so funny." He turned to me and asked "Mommy? Will you always be my best friend?"

I told him "yes! I will always be your best friend, but more importantly, I'll always be your mommy." 

I then asked him why I was his best friend. (you know, just curious)

He said "Cause you bike all day with me, then play ball all day and you never make me go inside, only when I have to poop and I get hungry!" 

It's good to have such high standards for a best friend I tell ya. 

He went on, he thanked me for painting with him and for folding his laundry. He thanked me for having daddy to be his daddy and then he thanked for me being a great friend. 

As my heart grew fuller and fuller I thought to myself what a wonderful life I lead. I don't want to brag or boast, but some days my heart is bursting at the seams with my love for these two little beings. I do spend my days playing hard. I am a kid at heart and I love spending hours upon hours biking, playing tennis, volleyball, soccer....on and on and on. I love painting, I love knitting with him, I seriously love it all. I love embracing his childhood and entering into it with such enthusiasm. 

I know that one day I will take the best friend back seat, but for now. I am pretty stoked to have the title. 

He also wanted me to know that his daddy is also his best friend, so don't tell him that he told me I was his best friend. He doesn't want to hurt daddy's feelings.

A lesson: Teaching our Sons to have posititve self image.

There have been two times in my life where I have felt comfortable in my skin. Those times are pregnancy.

You see, I have suffered/suffer from an eating disorder. It started when I was 13. A group of girls that I was friends with all started taking diet pills. We were obsessed with being thin. Unhealthy for sure, but it's what we heard would shed the pounds quickly. Soon we realized that our hearts raced uncontrollably and that we felt horrible. That was the end of the diet pill craze. Later I started to become obsessed with exercising and calories. I would barely eat enough calories to sustain any substantial weight and then I would work off all that I could. I was a cheerleader. That was a big impact on my body image. Then came college. My sophomore year I joined a sorority and lived with 100 girls. Now I don't speak negatively about cheerleading or sororities because I loved both of them and I felt that I grew from both experiences. That said, it was living in the sorority that took my eating disorder to a whole new level. I won't go into details, but I struggled. It wasn't until my senior year of college that I started to seek help. 

I will never be "cured" of my eating problems and my inability to find the beauty in my body. I try each day but I struggle. It wasn't until my mom was visiting and I was trying to find something to wear. I made a comment in front of my oldest son that I didn't like shorts because "my legs always look fat in shorts." My mom and I went back and forth talking about whose legs looked fatter in shorts. Yes! We actually used the term fat in front of my 5 year old. 

This wasn't the first time. For years I have commented on my negative view of my body. I always complain about my stomach, my legs, my kness.... you name it. I talk to my husband about it, I talk to my mom, my friends, and even my tiny children. It didn't dawn on me until I was laying in bed with my 5 year old and he said to me "Mommy. Do I look fat in my shorts?" I said, "What! Absolutely not! Why would you say that?" He replied "Well you think you look fat in your shorts and you don't."

Gasp. Tear. Breathe. What have I done? When I found out I was having  boys I was relieved that I wouldn't have a girl to have to work through body image issues. It didn't dawn on me that I needed to provide a safe place, free of my own body issues, for my sons. Why I didn't think of this, I have no idea. 

The best thing of seeing your mistake is learning from it. I am trying to better myself and my sons with positive thoughts and comments on my body. To let them know that I do love myself and the way that I look. And mostly laying a foundation for my sons to have positive body images. 

Overcoming fears

 

This year I told myself I would overcome some fears. I would also head down a more spiritual path and do a better job at working on my inner self. With those "resolutions" I needed to tackle my fear of hiking.

There are two things that I really fear. One is a big boulder falling on my car while we are driving and being eaten by either a cougar, mountain lion or bear... really.. any animal. I know the odds of either one of these happening is pretty low, I still have anxiety around them.

But this is the year! Today my family and I headed out for a hike. A mere 20 minutes up the mountains and we found ourselves in the most beautiful place. Surrounded by trees, wildflowers, birds, mountains and views to your hearts delight. This was not an easy hike for a 5 year old, but his tenacious self kept those feet moving one in front of the other.

 

 

My thoughts on hiking:
What a wonderful gift we can give our children. The outdoors welcomes such patience and beauty. We heard a vast array of birds chirping on our hike. My older son was able to decipher which bird calls came from each bird. We took our time. The busy world was left behind. We stopped often to take in the view, to look at butterflies, to see each wildflower growing. To look in amazement as we saw three snow covered mountains at the top of the bluff.

It's moments like these that I look at my life. Free of so many distractions, that I can fully breathe and take in what this wonderfully beautiful world has to offer us. My children witness this beauty. They feel the warmth of our sun on their skin, the breeze of our skies. We engage with them in such an intimate way through things of such simplicity but with such grandeur.

This is why, I challenge my fears and anxiety and I step onto the path. That first step my heart races. I worry about all the consequences of taking that first step in. I breathe. I see my family and their delighted hearts to be in nature. To explore a place that neither one of us knows. I take that step. And for that, I am forever grateful for overcoming my fears.

Our journey:

 

 

 

 

We all ended our day peacefully