"No running with Sticks!"

Four boys on their "ship" ( A dock that has been taken out of the lake).

This morning we went on an outing to a county park. We met some friends (Charley's friend from preschool last year and Henry's friend from our ECFE class this year - mom's destined to be friends). We have had a few playdates and the boys get along great...and even more fun is the chit chatting that us moms get when we see each other. I LOVE chatting with her and because we really don't know much about each other it is such fun learning who she is. She is a mother of four and so patient loving. I feel inspired after hanging out with her.

So today her little boy was going to come over for the afternoon but we thought it might be fun to get the little ones together too. So we met at the park and went for a "real" hike. All four boys hiked the whole hour and forty five minutes. The leaves were all down and how relaxing to shuffle through. Charley and his buddy found dead trees to climb on...tried to build a bridge across a creek, and of course found sticks that turned into guns. From afar I found myself repeatedly shouting, "No running with STICKS!" Henry was a little cranky but smiled at different times. It made me think of my childhood growing up in a wooded neighborhood where lots of time was spent just puttering in the woods. It was an hour when I was so glad I had bundled us up and taken the time because watching them play with nothing but sticks was PURE JOY! I am a mom of boys and I hung out with another mom with her two boys - we watched them be boys - while getting in some girl talk! A PERFECT morning.