Walk Like a Hooligan

The kids love taking walks in the evenings. At our old house, it was a little more tricky to go for a walk, since we had to cross a rather busy street to even get to a safe sidewalk. We did still go for walks, as I'm sure you know from the many pictures of hooligans walking with capes/costumes on, but it was always a little stressful. Our new neighborhood involves no crossing of busy streets, but it's also quieter so everyone can hear my loud children strolling around.

This time of year is pretty awesome for walking (and running!), it's gorgeous outside and a great temperature. And there are lots of flowers for the kids to fight over...I mean, pick. Tirzah loves picking flowers, and Merrick loves picking flowers before she can get to them as a means of picking on her. It's loads of fun for all involved as you can imagine. (But really, they don't do this the entire time we are walking. Occasionally they fall in ditches, run into parked cars, trip and fall in front of the stroller and get run over, fall out of the stroller, etc.)

All antics aside, I love walking with them too. It's always a good "walk off some dinner" activity, and a good way for us all just to chat and listen and learn about what's going on around us. They always ask lots of questions, and it's fun to listen to the way that they think. These walks are even more fun for me when Billy is there, and I don't have sole responsibility of pushing the stroller up and down all the local hills. I took my camera last time we were out and finally was able to get a few pictures of all the Spring color.

Usually, now that we are in a safer neighborhood, the older two like to walk on their own. (Although they do take breaks now and then and hop on the stroller) Jericho is a little jealous, and likes to yell "out me!" sporadically while we are walking. "Out me" is Jericho for let me out of this thing. Kind of like "fart me", which is what he says when, ya know. He's working on sentences, people. I'm so proud. ;) They may be a little mixed up and/or incomplete (and inappropriate), but we are working on it.

I'm so grateful for the quiet time in the evenings with them. (We are sad we didn't get to walk tonight, since it was cold and rainy...but looking forward to lots more of our Spring walk-a-thon.) Our days can be crazy and busy and stressful, and we usually don't see a lot of "Da-da", or even get to eat dinner together. But I also think it's kind of fitting that our "family time" is spent doing something where none of us are sitting still (cuz most of us in this family can't sit still), as opposed to a family evening meal. Maybe one day we will take up a hobby that involves less falling in ditches, though.