Daily Walks

We enjoyed such beautiful weather in May. Usually, we would expect it to start getting hot at the beginning of May, and then it all goes downhill until after October. But, for some reason, it stayed nice and cool until this last week. So, for a few months, the girls and I have enjoyed the nice weather by going to the park often and by taking walks at least a few times a week. We loved our little walks together, usually in the mornings, but sometimes in the afternoons. Brooke loves riding her little strider bike, so that's what she chooses to do on our walks, and ever since Camille could walk, I let her walk. I think she has enjoyed that little freedom.

Our walks are very slow. Brooke rides around, back and forth, while I hang back with Camille. She likes to walk, and run sometimes, and then stop to pick up a rock or pine cone, or pick a flower, or examine some other interesting ... something. I mostly let her do what she wants, and she stops to look at everything. And she likes to bring me some of the things she's collected. After a while, I do prompt her a little saying, "Come on, Camille!" and start walking a little quicker. I always end up with a little collection in my hands of things the girls have gathered. Brooke's favorite thing is to pick the flowers we come across. She asks me to tuck them into the little pad on her handlebars, which I find very cute and endearing. But, after a while, usually when we get home, she and Camille enjoy tearing the flowers to bits.

I love watching them play and discover while we're out. We almost always enjoy our walks in our own little gated community, hardly ever venturing out unless we're heading to the park. It's the most perfect place to walk with the little girls, though. We walk in a little circle around the community, there isn't a lot of traffic, it's close to home so we can rush home if we really need to, and we can take our time. Sometimes, we would only make it to the mailboxes before I just sit down on the curb and let them play. Camille always loves to stop at the mailboxes. She likes to test out the little locks on the boxes, and sometimes there'll be a key with a huge card attached to it, hanging out of one of the lock boxes. She likes to play around with those. So, when she and Brooke stop to play with that, and I take a seat on the curb, we sometimes just hang out around there for a long time. Brooke rides her bike back and forth, stopping to pick flowers or look at something, and Camille wanders around.

Our walks are the perfect way to get out of the house to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air, and sometimes it's just what we need.

It's also been nice going to the park and meeting our friends there. Now that it's started getting hot, however, we might not be doing many park days or walks. We have other fun things lined up for summer, though!

Matching strawberry shirts and big ol' smiles! I can't even stand it!