We love to take walks together as a family. Actually, this predates our children – Adam and I used to hike together in the mountains and foothills with the dogs, fueled by coffee and a leisurely breakfast. Things are much different now, but we still walk together every week.
When we lived in Colorado, we always went on the same hike up at Caribou, and our destination was a huge tree that we would hug before heading back down the mountain. Now we're teaching the girls to hug trees, too – and to look at flowers and explore tide pools and observe wildlife (on this particular walk, we saw a nesting osprey). I think we're succeeding in our efforts to raise two little nature lovers.
When we reach a bridge, Grace likes to pretend she's a 'grumpy old troll': she sings a song, does a little dance, and makes up a riddle that must be answered correctly before we can cross. This is pretty cute, and now she's passing the tradition on to Tess, which makes it even cuter.
Meanwhile, Tess is discovering how much fun it is to blaze her own trail – the age of two comes with its own little independent streak. I like it, and I have a feeling that our family walks are about to become even more interesting. Back when we first started hiking together, I don't think Adam and I would have been able to imagine outings like this, but I'd trade a leisurely breakfast for two tree-hugging, grumpy old trolls any day.
Travelingjenny 