Fall Is Coming

And that means it's time to get outside as much as we can to feel the warm sun hitting our skin. Derek and I vowed yesterday that we would do at least one thing each weekend outside unless it was just too cold or rainy. Knowing that we're going to have months on end of staying inside, we need to reap all of the benefits mother nature has to offer.

This weekend involved ducks, boats and a picnic. And I'll use the term "duck" lightly  as my 19 month old considers a goose to be a duck.... or really anything with a beak in the water. Kinda like the flamingo is still a 'bird' and the ocelot is still a 'kitty'.

We found a quaint little dock in our Metropark where the wildlife surrounded us from all directions. It was 72 degrees, sunny and just perfect. The problem was that the geese just kept flying away. This quick-thinking mother quickly ran to the car to grab cheerios and graham crackers hoping they would take the bait. They SURE did and Drew loved throwing them bites in between sneaking his own bites.

Then we were off to look at the boats in the marina and watch some coming back in from a morning of fishing.

To end the gorgeous morning outside, we had a picnic back at "our spot" that we've enjoyed before. It's off the path, right along the water and has a wonderful canopy of towering trees.

And you know what I noticed most about time together in nature? Drew didn't throw a tantrum and never showed any signs of becoming pissy. He gladly reached out for our hands when walking along the water and listened when we asked him to stay on the blanket while eating or to remain seated while feeding the ducks. Perhaps the fresh air keeps my blood pressure down, or the beautiful sights keep me less stressed, but whatever it is, I appreciate it and I know Drew does too.

PS - thanks for all the comments and suggestions on my post last week about Drew's new phase! I definitely will try all those tricks and found your comments to be very helpful. I've always known the blogging world is a wonderful one, but the support and encouragement will always be the icing on the cake for me!