Today we went on a hike with friends and their dog. Since my son has been walking, he prefers to hold my finger and walk rather than being held. With his little legs toddling along, it was more of an amble than a hike.
We are only a half hour drive from a redwood forest that is full of sights, sounds, smells, and things for a toddler to touch. For much of the hike, he waved around a huge, perfectly shaped yellow leaf, fanning his face with it. He woofed and pointed at every dog that passed by. He stuck his finger in mud. Then he stuck both hands in mud. He dabbled in a little puddle that had formed in the hollow of a fallen tree. The smell of moss and redwood and moist earth were a change from our regular environment, as was the lack of train and car sounds.
The hike with the little guy was free and required no extra "things," which for me is a better way to spend the afternoon on the Friday after Thanksgiving than shopping with throngs of deal-seekers. Let's leave Christmas shopping to another day and enjoy our dwindling days of sunshine.
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