Chipmunk Hunt.

We started off yesterday’s morning bright and early.  Attempting to avoid the heat wave that would be coming our way.  Trying to give the kids a chance to run around in clothes and not exhaust themselves in the humidity alone.  Going to Patterson’s Fruit Farm, has definitely always been, and has steadily grown into one of our favorite spots to go to.  During the fall (pumpkin season) months, it tends to be jam-packed and unpleasant at times.  But during all other months, bright and early, it is one of thee most peaceful spots for me to run off to with the boys.

They seem to love it much more than I do.  A playground, trails to run through, and a bakery to top off the morning never hurts.  Owen is always on the look out for chipmunks.  He, like most toddlers, thinks that all animals and insects are approachable.  He will creep up on a squirrel as if it were a small kitten.  He is known for flipping rocks and trapping potato bugs in between his tiny palms.  Brody joins right in.  Yesterday, the spotting of one chipmunk sparked the idea of a chipmunk hunt, and the boys were ready to run.

Turns out, after a few seconds down the trail, they totally forgot about the chipmunks and became just as consumed with the surroundings as I was.  The breeze felt so good on a humid day.  The flowers were taller than the boys, capturing all their attention with the butterflies they could spot.  Little hills and rocks to climb.  It was a perfect morning. A morning where you fully take in your surroundings.  There were zero tantrums, no tears, and no whining.  I was truly capable of enjoying every last drop of our little chipmunk adventure.  Staring at these boys blue eyes squinting from the bright sun.  Their tiny little feet running down the trails, tripping up as they realized they were going to fast.

With little ones, you tend to see things through their eyes all over again.  I’m telling you, a flower, tree, dandelion has never looked so amazing until you see the reaction it gives a toddler.  Now I am that mom that shreaks over a leaf that changed colors, or a bumble bee gathering pollen from a flower.  I am sure many parents of little ones can relate.  At night-time, Brody usually asks us to tell him a “story”.  We keep it brief because these kids push bedtime, and nap time to its limits.  We let him fill in the blanks… “Once upon a time, there was a little boy named ..”  so and so forth.   We usually embellish the day we had and what it consisted of.  Brody always cracks us up, and gets positively giddy about it all.  Then he has his turn to tell a story, and he gives his shot at being the comedian.  Last night was a story to his dad, “Once upon a time there was a daddy named, Mr. farty pants!” He chuckled so hard.  Life with boys… Can’t say it is a bad one 🙂