April

April

by John Updike

It's Spring! Farewell

To chills and colds!

The blushing, girlish

World unfolds

Each flower, leaf,

And blade of turf--

Small love-notes sent

From air to earth.

The sky's a herd

Of prancing sheep,

The birds and fields

Abandon sleep,

And jonquils, tulips,

Daffodils

Bloom bright upon

The Wide-eyed hills.

All things renew.

All things begin.

At church, they bring

The lilies in.

This poem touches my heart. I have always loved spring but I love it more than ever this year. From the tiniest wild flower, to the bright, bold daffodils sitting on my dining room table, I am encouraged by the sights of spring.

I am encouraged by the reminder that after cold and darkness there is light and warmth.

Spring always comes. We have to open our heart to it, but it always comes.

We live in a beautiful world and we are loved by a beautiful God.

I pray that truth is real to you this Easter and this spring.

Much love,

Greta

This poem is from this book and I can't say enough good things about it. I'll tell you more about it next week.

Barefoot in the Backyard: Spring Fun

We are just delighting in this warm, spring weather. We are basking. We are spending hours in the back yard.

Soon enough there will be those dreary mornings of June gloom. But for now, we are barefoot in the backyard and loving every minute of it!

And, Daddy put up a swing.

It is just a board and a rope, tied to a "way up high" branch of the avo tree.

But is providing countless hours of fun.

The best is when they go really high.

So high they swing into the leaves.

So high the swing goes crazy and spins around and they almost slam into the tree trunk and then Lilly walks in front of the swing and Mommy almost has a heart attack.

That's how high.

So high they can't stop laughing.

Such a simple pleasure.

I want them to have a play house and a tree house and a climbing wall and sand box--the best backyard they could ever wish for.

What a good reminder.

It doesn't take much to make them happy.

Thank you Daddy for our new swing.

French Braids, Best Friends and Knee Socks

One of my best friends growing up was Laurel. I remember many things about Laurel, and one of them was that Laurel always had beautiful french braids.

I didn't.

Not only did my mom not know how to french braid, but also, my hair was so fine it slipped right out of rubber bands. French braids wouldn't last a minute in my hair. Also, there were those unfortunate hair cut incidents.

So I was quietly jealous over Laurel's thick, swinging, french braids.

She also had lovely, bright white knees socks that always stayed up, just so. They never bagged or slid like mine. Laurel had it together.

I had hair cuts that made me look like a boy.

But now I have a second chance.

I have a little girl named Lilly.

And she looks just like Heidi with her blond, blond hair and her sweetest ever french braids.

I am going to learn to french braid her hair myself if we have to sit through 20 movies to do it.

Sacrifices must be made.

I fear it will not be easy. I don't think my hands are very coordinated and won't automatically "take" to this. Just like they didn't "take" to knitting.

But I will learn. I will overcome.

For Laurel, for me, for Lilly!

Who knows, Lilly may even be sporting some knee socks soon.

Guess what? It's fun having a girl!

Happy Tuesday!

Greta

With special thanks to Ginger for the braids!

(for the record, in the book, Heidi had short, curly dark hair, so Lilly actually looks nothing like Heidi. Why do we all think Heidi had blond hair and french braids anyway? Wasn't she Swiss?)

A Spring Hike at Riley Wilderness Park

Last Tuesday we met our home school/nature study group for our weekly field trip. We traveled down south to Orange County. I had heard great things about Riley Wilderness Park and it did not disappoint.

Spring is such a beautiful time to hike in Southern California. Everything is green from winter rains, there are wildflowers to exalt over and a cool breeze to temper the already warm sun. It is just beautiful.

Lilly was trying so hard to keep up with the boys. Then sweet Sofia came along and held Lilly's hand. I heard Sofia say proudly to another little girl, "Mrs. Eskridge told me to help Lilly and if she goes off the trail I have to make sure she gets back on because there are snakes."

At the risk of repeating myself, I am so, so happy witnessing these kind of moments. Lilly was thrilled to be with big girl Sofia, and Sofia was thrilled to be taking care of little girl Lilly. It's perfect.
Although the kids wanted to hike this big hill, it was already hot, so we chose the path more traveled.
We lunched in this wooded glen. We just found a shady place with no red ants, plopped down on the trail, and the chatter of 8 moms and I don't even know how many kids filled the air. No wonder we didn't see any deer!
There were wildflowers. This reminds me of a primrose, but I really have no idea what it is. We have a bird guide and a butterfly guide. Next up: trees and wildflowers.
The wind blew through the grass making it look and sound like the ocean. I showed the kids and they loved seeing the "waves" blowing across the hill. We talked about what it must be like to be in the vast prairies of the Midwest and see the grass waves blowing for miles and miles. Just like Little House on the Prairie.

It makes me want to go there.
And this reminded me of my favorite valley, just east of Cambria on the Central Coast. It's one of the places I dream of living in. This would do nicely too.

And a perfect ending to the day was a little time to play in the creek.
Getting our toes wet, well, actually our whole bodies, exploring, making mud cakes, pies and balls, and....
burying our friend Emm in the sand. She's the cactus whisperer, the bug catcher extraordinaire, and apparently enjoys being buried up to her neck in sand. We love her.
Just another day at school! What fun!

____________________________________________

If you go to Riley Wilderness Park:

Parking is $3

I suggest going early in the morning or later in the afternoon. It gets hot.

And you might see those deer we missed.

Bring a change of clothes for your kids--the creek is too much fun to pass up.

The trails are dirt, but can take a stroller with big wheels, such as a jog stroller.

There is a port-a -potty.

They are closed after rains, and you can check their web site here for any up to date info.

Let me know if you go and try some other trails.

Happy hiking, friends!

Greta

Hiking With Kids: SomeTips and the Santa Margarita River Trail

My kids love to hike. The boys can handle a 3 mile hike with ease. Even 4 miles doesn't phase them too much as long as there are some snacks involved.

Lilly can handle a hike too. She can easily do a mile, or a mile and a half. It is painfully slow, but she does it. After that, she prefers to be carried, and if she's tired, she might want to be carried sooner. But truly, her little legs can do it.

We began hiking in earnest when James was 3 and William was 1. I started with them at our local nature center on the 2 mile trail. When they polished that off, I knew they were ready for more. I regret that we didn't do more hiking with James when he was smaller. I am sure he would have been fine, we just weren't giving him enough credit. We didn't own a backpack carrier or an "off road" stroller, 2 things that would have made trails more accessible with a toddler. Now we do, but we don't always use them.

Hiking with kids is like anything else, you just have to show them how much fun it is, and they'll soon join right in. You have to help them build up their strength and stamina. You have to show them how to see things along the trail so it isn't just a boring walk. Even Lilly points out wild flowers now, or a bunny. The boys notice birds, plants, rocks, bugs and wildlife. They love the adventure, the bend in the road, the joy of new discoveries.

Hiking has become one of our favorite activities. Most hikes are a bit of a drive from where we live. It might seem like a lot of effort to drive somewhere and only hike 3 miles. Or, you could consider it a starting place. My plan is that we are working towards 5 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles and someday, overnighters on the trail.

And even on a short hike, there is so much to see. In my mind, hiking is a perfect family outing. Why?

It's active.

It's cheap.

It's outside.

Everyone can be together.

It's fun!

So now it's time to hit the trail! If you have a favorite hike, please share it with me. I keep track of hikes I'd like to try, both near and far.

Here's one we recently hiked near Fallbrook. It's the Santa Margarita River trail in DeLuz. The Santa Margarita river is worth seeing as it is the last wild river in southern California. And because the trail is right on the river, you can even do this trail in the summer heat. Just take off your shoes and jump in!

This trail is fairly rugged. Even an off road stroller would not work. Lilly and William needed help on some of the steep parts but otherwise they all managed just fine. The trail is out in the hills, and there are mountain lions. So we made the boys stick close to us and we took my dad along too. He was also helpful for toting Lilly!

It is a great trail--some parts are a bit eroded after all the winter rains.

Some parts are a lot eroded after the rains.

But the 'cliffs" made for an even more exciting hike for the boys.

There are lots of wildflowers in bloom.

Right next to the river there is a lot of moisture.

Perfect for moss. And succulents growing right out of the hills.

Hiking in the spring gives us a chance to see everything green and lush.

In a few months it will be burnt brown from the summer sun.

There weren't very many people on the trail.

We passed 5 other hikers.

Then we met up with our cousin Jack and his best bud, Timmy.

Can you tell whose related?

Hint: go by facial expression, not coloring.

We climbed down to the giant boulders by the water.

Lilly wouldn't stand for being left out.

The best part is always the exploring.

If they get to explore rocks and water, so much the better.

Farther up the river there is a beaver dam.

We didn't get to go that far because the sun was setting.

But Jack found evidence of the beavers' work.

What a cool treasure. I'm still jealous!

Some practical tips that will make your hikes more successful and fun.

1. Wear good shoes. Flip flops won't cut it. They should be closed toe at least, or fully enclosed so you aren't stopping to shake out pebbles the whole time. They should also have good grip, because kids love to climb.

2. Pack lots of snacks and water. You can't have too much. And this will make or break the hike. Trust me.

I even pack a special treat, like some chocolate, if I know the hike will be a longer one and they will need a little something to get them back to the car.

3. Dress in layers. It might start out cold, but you'll all get hot.

4. Teach your kids to identify poisonous plants. The boys point out poison oak and stinging nettles with ease now.

5. If your hike will take you into areas where there are rattlesnakes or mountain lions, tell your kids how to react. My boys aren't afraid of seeing these things. They are just prepared.

Now you're ready. It's the weekend, so get out there and enjoy a beautiful spring hike. Just be sure to tell me all about it.

On Monday, I'll share an Orange County hike with you.

Happy Trails!

Greta

Back To Reality

Several blogs I read have posted lately about being real. To be more precise, they were discussing being real on their blog, and how easy it is not to be.

I had to chime in.

I agree, it is very easy to portray a perfect life on a blog. Or in a magazine, a movie, a book, pictures, even a song. Anything that gives you only part of the picture means other parts are being edited.

I am a fan of editing. To a point.

When it comes to blogs, I like to see other people's fantastic craft ideas, good recipes, or their beautiful homes. It inspires me to make my life better. I appreciate being inspired. And I like lovely things. I want to surround myself with them. Beauty gives me joy.

However, I am also inspired by the real life stories. I am inspired by honesty. I am encouraged by the mom who admits to having a bad day, the house being a mess and not having it all figured out. It's nice to know we're not doing this alone, isn't it? I like to know someone else's kid pooped in the bathtub or colored on the walls. It is nice to know what people are learning on this journey we are all walking together.

But even that, we edit. Sometimes, if I were to be wholly honest and write a post in the heat of my frustration, there would just be a string of curse words across the screen. Because sometimes that is what is in my heart. I refrain from writing that and instead, try to glean something good from the junk I am going through. It might just be that I turn a rotten day into a funny anecdote, or it might be something deeper that I learned from the days trials.

For example, a real day last week.

Starting with 3 very sick kids and 1 very sick mommy.

Here is the kitchen and the banana bread I was trying to make. It took me over 3 hours to get it in the oven. But for some reason, I just had to make banana bread that day.

When James and William asked to help me, I said "no."

That's right. I told them I just wanted to do something by myself. Nice Mommy, right?

Besides, they had this craft project they were asking me and asking me to do all day.

"I got out all these materials for you, and now you are going to do this craft!"

(It took me like 2 minutes to take the stuff out, but it was the principle of the thing. Oh, and my insanity.)

This is the school room floor--no one put away their books or their puzzles after they used them. That annoyed me.
And here are James and William doping out in front of the TV, because we all needed a break. Also in this picture is the toilet. Now you really know I am not editing.
A real day and it wasn't pretty. In fact, I was near tears by the time Aaron came home. I was tired of being Mommy. You have those days too, right?

I don't think I shy away from real stuff.

Like when I said sometimes I don't like my kids.

Or that I walk out the door looking like a wreck.

That I am struggling with sadness.

That I am neurotic about keeping my house clean.

But at the end of the day, I don't want to remember just the "real" stuff. And you probably don't want to either. We have to find the balance of the good and the bad. A good book always has some sweetness and some tears. So does life.

I want to remember it all. Because most of my life is good. It is sweet. It is funny. It is fun. There really are walks in fields filled with flowers. And there really is poop in the bathtub.

When my kids are grown and I come back to these days, I'll smile at the good times.

And I'll probably miss some of the "real" times too.

At least some of them.

Or so people tell me.

Here's to a little reality now and then. But tomorrow we'll take a trip to someplace beautiful

Love from Greta

Mountain Getaway

I was in the mountains this weekend. My heart is home with my babes, but my head is still kind of there. The moment I find myself away from suburban sprawl and surrounded by God's creation, it feels like my souls opens up and is filled.

I crave it. I want it. I need it.

It was a beautiful and much needed break. Clear air, birds chirping, lots of trees and 4 good friends to be with.

We talked. A lot.

We laughed. A lot.

I am so glad to be sharing this journey of home schooling with them.

Because I am sharing so many pictures of the weekend, I am keeping my commentary to the bare minimum.

View

Lunch

Moss

Tree

Friends

Babe E.

Color

Manzanita

Town

Treasure

Funny

Hike

Stream

Snow

Texture

Nope

Birding

Love

being on this path with these friends.

It is hard to come back to cars and fences and endless sidewalk. It only strengthens my resolve to make it "into the wild" as often as possible.

Thank goodness I got a wilderness fix today at Riley Wilderness Park. Pictures to come.

Greta