parks

i love walking to the park. and here are my reasons:
1)we're breathing in that clean, crisp, fresh spring air that refreshes from the inside out
2)i'm getting much needed exercise. my need for Jillian lessens when i spend my days pushing around 80+ lbs of stroller and boys...
3)we randomly run into people we know and have unexpected conversations with people we don't. I love unplanned encounters with people.
4)Simeon sits still (while in the stroller)
5)we have good talks while walking - today we talked about what makes us decide to be unkind to each other (we'd had a fairly mean morning...)
6)my boys can run and run and jump and throw themselves on the ground and be boys - nobody beneath them hearing their every move...
7)there are countless activities - throwing sticks, throwing rocks, sliding, swinging, jumping, climbing, getting muddy, hanging, balancing....it seems as though each one could be done for hours straight and they'd never get tired...
... energy is spent, clothes are dirtied, and everyone arrives home a bit more tired and remarkably more content...
and now they sleep longer and more soundly... and tomorrow we will happily do it all over again!
bring on the spring and the summer.... we're ready!