Outdoor Life Challenge: Week 5 Log

Here are the days I had written something down in addition to the kids' usual 30-60 minutes outside before our morning lessons.

Ah, spring!

Tuesday

It was a rainy day. Thanks to MEC one piece rain suits, the kids went out twice! They weren't exactly enthused to begin with. There may or may not have been some complaining and/or stomping and/or door slamming. But once they got out, they had fun making a mudslide, biking around the driveway,  investigating various tunnels and holes, and doing things that only make sense when you're 5 and almost 7.

Wednesday

We all went out on the sunny front porch after breakfast. We hung up the baby swing and Ivy had her first go in it. We also set up the playpen on the porch so all three kids could hang out for a little bit while I was inside doing things. The afternoon was taken up with our weekly expedition to town.

Thursday

This was another sick day for me. Thankfully, by the afternoon I was starting to feel better. It was sunny and warm, and the kids begged me to go outside with them. I brought out a blanket and the big black Handbook of Nature Study and lay out in the sun while the kids played. Eventually, they were curious to know what I was reading about, so we read a little bit about flowers together. Then we had an impromptu dandelion dissection, a mini rainbow scavenger hunt (blue, purple and red were hardest to find), and a "Picture Painting" session. We played "I Spy," and noticed how we had to keep moving the blanket out of the shadow of the house as the sun swung around the sky. When Ivy woke up from her nap, she joined us on the blanket and was happy to sit and watch the world go by. The older two picked dandelions for her!

Friday

This morning we sat out on the porch together again after breakfast. This is one of my favourite things about the warmer weather! We did some spring cleaning in the afternoon, which was mostly inside, but when that was done the kids headed out to play and Micah joined them after work.

Sunday

Sunday afternoon we went as a family for a walk down the path beside the river. We met up with the neighbour and had a nice chat, found some marsh marigolds growing, and generally enjoyed our time together.



I don't always do a good job of keeping track of our time outside. One of the reasons for this is that we're in and out quite a bit. I think that's a good thing! The outdoors just becomes an extension of our house. I'm so thankful for our big yard and the many wonders right outside our door!

It was a difficult week in some respects. An ear infection, a headache, multiple dentist and public health appointments, and generally being off our schedule made for some trying moments. But the time that we did spend outside together stands out as some of the best moments of the week.

Nature helps us all to clear that mental fog, resets attitudes, and brings us all together. Being cooped up inside can lead to tunnel vision. Getting out expands our horizons and helps us see beyond the many little things that can weigh us down. It wasn't perfect. I didn't reach my goals. And yet, every moment was worth it!


{Note to self: Become more familiar with flower anatomy.}


Happy outdoorsing!


~ Lindsey