Nature Walk

We have the worst yard on the block. Full of roots and big pines and oaks. Right now, the leaves and acorns and pinecones are thick on the ground. No lawn, to speak of. Rocky soil that is a mixture of clay and sand. All on a steep slope. I constantly enter contests to win landscaping services and have tried again and again to get our yard fixed up on HGTV, all to no avail. Our yard is not a very friendly place for a 14-month-old toddler to play.

But, yesterday, walking across our yard from the front door to the curb, and then back again to the backyard, I discovered that our yard is actually perfect for a nature walk with a small boy! It took us about 20 minutes, as X squatted down beside big rocks of various colors and shapes. We picked up and threw acorns. X plucked the flowers off of countless dandelions, leaving a trail of headless stems behind. Twigs and sticks were picked up and examined. Tree bark presented a lesson in texture.

All the while, X was chatting happily in his own language, smiling along.

It might be the worst-looking yard on the block. Certainly it's no place for cartwheels and somersaults, or a round of croquet. But, it was just perfect for a little one's curiosity about the wonderful things we grownups almost always overlook.