Today I wanted to share with my kids a memory from my childhood.  Rather than tell them how much fun I had with my brothers in the fields that once surrounded Grandma’s House, I took them to go see one of them. (What was once an open field has now been designated a nature park by the city…It’s the only one left from when I was little)

I told the kids we would be walking a bit and then when we got to the end of the trail we would be able to go swimming in the creek.

Along the way we encountered large dandelions which Roo and Ren absolutely love, a lizard, lots of rocks (one of Roo’s favorites) dried up creek beds, spiders, new vegetation, fish and of course the creek. Roo and Ren were very excited to get in because it was 90 degrees outside however with the first toe in the water they quickly learned that mountain river water was much cooler than Little Buck Creek in Indiana. It took Ren the better part of an hour before she decided she would go in. Once she saw how much fun Roo and Uncle Sam were having she decided she could ‘numb-up’ and play too.

It was surreal seeing my kids enjoy life in the same place and with the same activities I did as a kid. (I would have taken them to a shallower part of the creek but developers have taken it over and it now runs through some big spenders back yards…darn it.)