Forced Family Fun
How to Enjoy the Great
Outdoors (Whether You Like It or Not)!
When the leaves first started turning green again this
spring, I wanted to get my family out for a hike, a bike, a walk or anything
outdoorsy. Last summer on one of the last days before school, I took my two for
a nature walk at a preserve that isn’t too far from our house. It was as if
they came alive. They ran on the paths, swung on vines and jumped into the
creek bed. It was amazing to see. After days at the pool, doing something
adventure-ish awoke their spirit. I vowed to do more.
Weekend after weekend was lost to soccer game, errands, rain,
church activity or worst of all kitchen counter painting.
Finally, this last weekend was Mother’s Day. The sun was
shining. The day was relatively warm. The rains had ended. No one could deny me
a hike on Mother’s Day. However, we had to start the day with an end-of-year
church-school-celebration. As I’m head Church Mom this year and I can’t just
skip the celebration.
After that, I was rearing to get outdoors. Then my
husband suggested we go to our traditional Mother’s Day restaurant and have
brunch. Who can say no to Mother’s Day French Toast? Everyone knows that is a
calorie free treat for Moms. So pass me the syrup. We had a lovely brunch. But
a nice brunch demands one thing. A nap. So at about 12:00 on my
Mother’s-Day-Hike-Day, I parked the kids in front of episodes of “Doctor Who”
and took a two hour nap. I can’t complain. It was a good nap but the day was
wasting away.
I had identified a hiking spot at a State Park the night
before and Grant's Birthplace and School House historical home an extra half hour away. We set the GPS in the car
and turned on the Pandora PG Comedy Radio and took off. The drive was beautiful
as we took the Scenic Byway Route. The world was a green cathedral, bright
green leaves everywhere and beautiful mountains. At last we arrived at the
Grant's School House. It was closed. The hours on the sign (and the ones I’d read
online) were from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We read the historical marker and
kicked the gravel. My husband, a history pro, told us all about the history. We
got back in the car and headed for the State Park. Surely they don’t close
those.
We got to the park and parked near some paths. Hallelujah.
We were going to hike. We started off on our merry way. It was great while the
path were graveled. Sadly, beyond the gravel the paths quickly turned to mud.
We traveled on a little ways picking our way through the mud. My daughter’s
shoe got stuck at one point and we had to pull it out. Everyone was a good
trouper for me and my hiking desires. That is until the path became a pond. We
threw rocks in then had to give up and turn around.
That night at dinner my husband asked, “What was your
favorite part of the day?” My son had liked throwing rocks in the Path/Pond. My
daughter had liked breakfast. My husband said he liked the historical sight,
just seeing it, even though it was closed. Me? I had loved the drive. I had
loved seeing the bright green of spring and listening to my family all safe
together, laughing to the comedians. It was the journey for me. But everyone
had enjoyed something beyond the ordinary errands, cleaning and yard work.
Everyone had a new memory. So I’ll keep trying to schedule my Forced Family Fun
because we only pass this way once.
Margee Moore is a marketing
professional and mother of two outdoorsy kids. Her book “Sleeping with the Laundry: Notes from the Mommy Track” is
available on Kindle for $3.99.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment. Hope you enjoy the site.
Best,
Margee