Lately, it's been feeling a little too close-quarters in our house... By the end of the day, the house just doesn't seem big enough for me, my toddler, and a Jack Russell terrier. If one isn't breaking something, or in some sort of trouble, then the other one is... It's enough to drive this MOMMA a little crazy.
So, I decided to borrow an idea from LITTLE MISS MOMMA's blog, and we started taking B (and sometimes Oz) on "adventure walks" every evening...
These adventure walks have NO RULES.
Mommy isn't saying, "NO," "DON'T," or "STOP" every 5 seconds...
B leads the way, and Mommy just follows along (except when we cross the street, of course).
This means...
If she wants to climb up and soak herself with the nasty fountain water... I let her.
For those that don't know me well, it is extremely hard for me to stand by and watch this transpire.
I still catch myself reaching over to stop her from doing certain things, especially when I find myself thinking, "Oh my gracious, that fountain has to have a TON of bird crap in it, which means there are all sorts of bacteria and nasty... UCK!" I CAN'T EVEN GO THERE.
But I'm usually able to stop myself, and just let it happen...
{I TOTALLY GAVE THAT FOUNTAIN THE "ONCE-OVER," THOUGH... IT WAS SUFFICIENTLY CLEAN.}
I'll be the first one to admit that if someone, such as myself, were to have the slightest OCD hygiene tendencies, and were to just let these things happen, it would feel anything but liberating...
BUT IT DOES.
I find myself looking forward to our adventure walks each night... Not only is it fantastic to watch B explore and try new (and sometimes slightly disgusting) things, but it's also great to just "let loose" and experience them with her. We can find that bond that gets lost with the millionth "NO!" or umpteenth TIME OUT of the day. I don't feel like my day was a total MOMMY FAIL because I've only bothered to tell her what she can't, and shouldn't, do... She gets the control that her little, independent self is craving, and Mommy gets to have a little fun...
And BONUS, It wears her down for bedtime too! :)
And BONUS, It wears her down for bedtime too! :)
We even invite Daddy on our walks when he gets home from work early...
THE DOOR TO THE SECRET GARDEN? We'll find out!
OUR ADVENTURES always LEAD US TO WATER ;)
"CHECKMATE, DADDY"
This game is called, "I Win."
This game is called, "I Win."
"WIONS"... We just need to find some TIGERS and BEARS!
A LITTLE WINDOW SHOPPING.
B is like her Great-Grandma... She has a love for OWLS.
We came home with a PIZZA for dinner!
I'm so thankful for this time with my little family... It brings a PEACE into our lives that is much needed on the extra-crazy days!
Tomorrow will be our last adventure walk for the week... We're headed to FL early Friday morning!
DESTINATION:VACATION
another adventure in the making...
3 comments:
Great idea! They just love being in control of their own destiny (with Mommy's guidance of course). We seem to have very similar personalities when it comes to being in control! Haha:) But what a great way to work on that! Looks like you all have a blast on your "adventure walks". I'm jealous! Have a great trip...babyberry will be missed while you're gone!
It looks like you guys have a great time on your walks. Have fun on your trip!!
I am like you, and it so hard to not freak out about things..I am getting better about it b/c it so awesome to watch them discover new things and have so much fun.
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