Ten Years in the Making

Ten years ago, Mike and I bought a framed, baby/child backpack. We bought it because we were expecting a baby, were super excited, and planned that we'd be taking that baby with us on our hikes, even if that meant our hikes had to decrease in length a bit. We totally expected to include that baby in the activities we enjoyed together.

And then we didn't get to include that little baby in anything.

And somehow, as I wrote in Hope's baby book about all the things we had planned to share with her....I packed away those plans on a shelf in the back of my mind. Filed them away in a box and let the dust start building.

With excitement and joy we welcomed and brought home Miss Mouse, and then Sunny, and then Mighty Mouse, and now, lastly, Manly.  But in all those years of enjoying babies and toddlers and preschoolers and schoolchildren, some of those dreams of mine stayed in that box on the shelf in my memory. We didn't have much of a chance to just enjoy Miss Mouse as a baby - we were focused on the move we'd made, Mike's new job, my loneliness in my new(ish...."new-ish") community. And as I fully enjoyed learning who these little people were, I forgot that part of why we'd wanted these little people in our lives in the first place was to be able to share who WE are with THEM.

Surely, we've done that in other ways. Mike hunts; the kids know all about hunting. Mike has done running events; the girls remember jogging with me in the jogging stroller. We share stories of our childhood, our grandparents, our memories. But for a long, long, long time, we just didn't have time to do much "fun" extra activity. Mike was head over heels into his work; I had the bright idea to start a home business (I don't recommend this to stay-at-home moms whose husbands work as many hours as mine does.....at least not if they have more than one child, anyway). There was literally hardly time to breathe let alone shake the dust off that framed backpack and even think about using it.

Well, today was the day.  We (I) couldn't stand the dust in our house project anymore, so after bare bones schoolwork was completed, after our morning walk, after our lunch-on-the-patio, we packed up and headed out.

See that smile? This poor girl was so beside herself about not being allowed upstairs in her own house this morning that she pouted all the way out to the state park we visited. And then she quickly got over it and enjoyed herself.

They enjoyed themselves thoroughly!

Very thoroughly.

Sunny wanted to pose for a fancy picture. No, I asked her to let me take her picture, so she proceeded to the fancy pose. Oh, fancy girl.

Can you tell how pleased Sunny is to be photo-bombed?!

There we go.

My handsome young gentleman.

Miss Mouse took our picture to prove that I really was here!

Go Bison (hat)!

How I wish this were in focus. I'm afraid Manly's face says his opinion, but he was just a sweet, little trooper. I attached a little turtle toy for him to chew on, and he just chewed away the whole hike. Sweetie.

She dances.

They were skipping - sometimes hand in hand.

Sunny: "Take a picture! Take a picture! I found a cat-tail!!!! By the side of the road! I didn't do anything wrong to pick it or anything! I found it! I found it! Oh, look, it's exploding. Take a picture anyway!!!!"

Miss Mouse: "Yeah! Take a picture, and we'll threaten Grammy with it!"

Apparently they've gotten the idea that because Grammy does not want a cattail in her house - because she's constantly afraid it will explode while sitting in a vase on her kitchen table, which it potentially could - that she's somehow afraid of exploding cattails a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e.

Yet another attempt at a photo of all four. I love this one for the personalities that are shining through.

I love this one because it's pretty good of everyone. My sweet girls, my busy, funny little boy, and my sweet baby boy.

And then this is what happens when you try just about three photos too long. At least Manly's still pretty content!

What a great day. Manly cried on the way home - fairly hard after we hit our second detour of the evening, too. We stopped and gave him a break. We re-routed ourselves. We arrived home tired to a dusty house. But I've already promised another trip out next year, a longer hiking trail, and a picnic, and I'm told they "can't wait"! Ten years. I'm sorry I waited so long, but this afternoon was fully worth the wait.

Delicious Bragging

So, I'm going to spend this post shamelessly bragging about the delectability (if that's even a word) of my youngest. He's yummily deliciously sweet.  This little guy's baby book is less filled out than his siblings' books; he sometimes has to cry while I get someone else a drink or some food; in some ways I feel like he's getting the short end of the family stick. Then I realize that while he's crying, waiting for Mama to get done with someone else's immediate need fulfillment, he's generally attended by at least one older sibling. He's drooling like a sieve, and his sisters and brother think it's hilarious when he bombs them with a big glob of drool!  Especially Mighty Mouse thinks that is the funniest.  I don't read to him as much as I read to Miss Mouse, but he has three readers in the house all day with him whereas she had only one. I think he's getting a different type of family experience than his siblings did, but he's one happy, sweet, loving little baby. Hopefully that means he's reflecting what he feels in his life because we love him like crazy!