Children and outside time, how to make it happen in fall....

An after school gathering with influencing your health on a cool, sunny, fall afternoon. What is possible?

10.11.12

Directly after work/school we had many options for being outside and after narrowing it down to two, it was between riding bikes together or hiking for some quality leaf collecting (we are pressing the leaves this weekend with a art project for Grandma’s B-day :).

Tryon Park in Rochester, NY was the chosen ground and it was a beautiful afternoon.  The beautiful foliage is just around peak and the colors dance against the blue sky.  We set off with running & jumping in the “soup bowl” of trails that are shared by both mountain bikers (which are cool to see with a 4 year young) & hikers alike.  We have stomped the ground on these trails several times before and they yield some great up and down elevation gains. 
 

The exploring of the woods can be a very rewarding experience.  Good habits to keep in mind are stopping to listen to all the fall noises & watching in silence as the leaves dance through the air and allow gravity to bring them to Earth.  Fallen trees are unique opportunities as well.  The lessons that can be simply added to a conversation or just asking the little one questions to engage in the moment.  Being on the trail, surround by nature changes the way one can think, just by being in a different environment.  Mindfulness of being more aware plays huge dividends on your mental health.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Many mixed colors and shapes filled my pockets as we crunched many leaves under our feet.  We explored tire and animal tracks while very much loved kicking the fallen leafs covering the trail at times.  After an hour the sun was low in the fall sky and times to head off to witness the sunset, this is a high energy point and is best shared with someone.....Cobbs Hill Park, Rochester, NY provides a spectacular view.......

Parents, regardless of your feelings of Fall time, try this time toldcraft..

Just a day during the week of a father & son enjoying the special moments of the season...



The pumpkin was a special one, it started as a seed in the hands of my lil man on a brisk afternoon during the early parts of May.  We charted out the garden for the best plot and spacing possible, the idea was to pack it in, but be able to tell y’all this story...

We harvested his pumpkin in a ceremonial event last week, he just loved that he got to hold a knife too!  Growing his pumpkin has been more then a rewarding experience on so many levels. I would encourage all parents to try this in the spring time, of course none of this would have been possible for two reasons.  One, my mom had a garden when I was a child & I remember growing our own one year; two, the BEES!  Without them busy bees pollinating the flowers, the harvest would not have been.  Thank you bees!!!

The carving activity was set up with him drawing (using his shapes & numbers) his Jack-o-Lantern face (as he described it) into a circle on a blank piece of paper.  After his idea, we cut the top off & began the slimy experience of removing the inside parts and separating the seeds. 

Now the seeds add the nutrition piece, because they grew that way and are an amazing natural source of protein.  So the carving was a huge success, the seeds still delicious, and hearing him tell that story to others just warms my heart.  The candle lighting ceremony is also an exciting event on those spooky fall nights......

How can a father & son have an amazing day?

Single Parenting 101, have a plan, practice supporting local organizations, smile, modify & adjust your plan all the time :)

Just a day in the weekend adventure of a father & son enjoying the moments...


10.1.12

Reflecting on the last weekend of Sept and it being a lil man weekend too, the foundation for what I find to be pure happiness was put into motion.  I plan the day around food.  The idea is it should grow that way, the food itself is the ingredient.

    Almonds, peanuts, pistachios are all big favorites as power snacks, he doesn’t even know we are having an “organized snack,” most of the time because we are out and about on the go.  The natural source of protein is great, fiber, and fat (the good kind), just have it in a baggy and was perfect to take on the trail with our water bottles.  Simple veggies make a great take along too.  Of course it takes time to develop a child's pallet to want the natural stuff (you too ADULTS!!), but food has been my medicine for many years now, so I listen to my MOM and eat more vegetables now then ever before.

We ended up at some nature trails (with a rich history as the signs & markers were fun to read along the way) and discovered a new water fall on our hike, we ended up exploring, collecting leaves, listening to the natural sounds, and also making fun on the North American Grey Squirrel along the way!  One almost dropped a black walnut on my head, so we turned that moment into a comical report for the remainder of the 3 mile hike. 

We ate breakfast, took some snacks, headed out on a local trail, only to be outside on a crisp fall afternoon.  The quality of time and uniqueness of the conversations are endless, especially engaging in the new season that the autumnal equinox has brought us.

Bowling with Papa followed and that great three generations of boys enjoying more physical activity with family time continue the flow of another amazing day.  It also yielded a much needed HEALTHY nap by a 4.5 & 35 year young boys :)