Day #1

Day number one of the last full week of summer vacation has come to a close.  I have challenged myself to do something special with and/or for the kids each day until school begins.  They have no idea what we'll be doing each day (I haven't figured it all out yet), so each morning will hold a surprise for us all.

Day #1 - Hiking
Once we were ready for our day, we loaded up the van and drove to a local county park.  I had brought along a backpack filled with water and snacks.  The kids didn't know what we were doing until we arrived.  I announced that Honey Bunches was in charge of the map.  Before we even began on the trail, Sweet Potato grabbed the map out of Honey's hands, to which Honey punched him in the arm.  Luckily the dispute was settled swiftly and onward we journeyed.

The most amazing thing happened as we began our hike.  The kids were quiet.  I mean, they were taking in all the sites and sounds with very little commentary. 

Cucumber spotted these berries from afar

A hollowed out tree

Gummi Bear closely examined this insect eaten plant

We hiked approximately 2 miles, which I thought was pretty good, especially for Sweet Pea and Pumpkin.  Besides being in nature, my favorite part was the walk through a field to get back to our van.  Honey Bunches grabbed Pumpkin's hand and held it all the way to the end.

The kids were proud of themselves for making this trek.  I was proud of them too.


Upon our return home, they all played a game together while I prepared lunch.  The older ones were very patient with the little ones, as everyone scrunched in to see.

This harmony didn't last all day, but I treasured it while we had it!  They begged to know what we will be doing tomorrow.  I have a few ideas, but I'll just wait and see where the wind will blow.