Finally

More often than not, I get sad thinking about my babies growing up. Each time Crashy falls asleep on me, I think, “Soak it up, Mama! You never know how long he’ll do that!”
However, today was not one of those days with Selah. It happened to be one of those times you think, “Finally! My daughter is old enough to actually do and enjoy something I love!”

Today when I told her I was going hiking, she asked to come. This was risky considering previous experiences include: whining, complaining, carrying, waiting, crying, and oh yeah, did I mention the whining? However, I told Jess: #1. It’s good for her to be outside exercising. #2. It’s something she wants to like…but just hasn’t yet, and it’s something I want her to like. How would that happen without at least trying again? So, I took the risk.

And it paid off! Yay!

We made it a total adventure! Jumping over “grand canyons”…

Stopping to take selfies (at Selah’s request, because, “Mom! This is a good selfie spot!”)…

Finding ‘secret gardens’, where “probably water fairies live” according to Selah…

It was literally the best.

Some of our better points of conversation:
1. (We were walking and could here birds & crickets) Selah: Mom, did you know animals can hear us before we hear them?
Mom: really? How do you know that? From school?
Selah: no. Because our dogs always hear us before we come home. And they have bigger ears. So they can hear us from really far away.
Mom: you’re right! Animals are definitely better listeners than us.
Selah: except they can’t hear us all the way in San Luis or Hawaii!
😉
2. Selah: these little plants growing on the trail are pretty. How do they grow here?
Mom: Well, what do plants need? Soil…Water…what else?
Selah: Sun! …and mostly love.
Mom: love?
Selah: yes, love is the most important for plants.
Mom: oh?
Selah: yes. But stepping on them isn’t really loving them.
😍
3. Mom: the plants are getting vitamins from the soil
Selah: like our vitamins we eat?
Mom: yeah, we get our vitamins from the food we eat.
Selah: oh! Like the plants get vitamins from the soil, then we get vitamins from plants?
Mom: yep. Pretty smart for 4!
Selah: (seconds later)…but the only plant vitamins we get to eat here are from sour grass!
😜

What fun she is.

And what a success for mom! I’m already planning our backpacking trips now!!! (Probably ambitious after a 1.5 miler, but hey, a mom can dream!)

The only part that she was iffy on, pictured here:

Mom, will this mud ever come off my favorite shoes?! 👌😉