As we start to feel a wee bit better around here, Rylie and I found it very necessary to break free from the walls and halls of our home and get out of doors. For the last couple of afternoons, we did just that.
Yesterday we went to a nearby park that has a slatted wood foot ramp that leads to the top of a mountain. I followed behind as Rylie got to exploring. She found some sticks and acorns, climbed up hills and on top of rocks, and then we set off on the ramp.
We were cruising along until Rylie spotted some very interesting seed pods stuck in between the slats.
Today we set off on another adventure, this time to Temescal Gateway Park. We played for a few hours in the scenic fields and meadows.
We brought Rylie to this park when she was just 3 months old and took her photo in this very tree stump.
It kind of blows my mind how restorative a few moments outside can be. When things start to feel a bit overwhelming, I know that means it is time to get on our shoes and head outside. Most days we stroll through the neighborhood or to the fountain downtown. We have been inside most days these last few weeks because we have all been quite under the weather. Speaking of the weather, it was downright hot today at about 76 degrees, so there was no way we could stay inside another day.
Rylie is an amazing adventurer; she loves to feel, smell, hear (and sometimes taste) all that is going on around her. She points out the birdies and squirrels. She climbs up hills and on top of tree stumps without hesitation and she collects acorns, rocks, sticks and seeds. I am so grateful for the ways in which she shows me how to open my eyes and to see what is around me again as though it is for the first time. I am inspired by how she lives in the moment and is truly here now; she reminds me to continually breath and to be present. She is not thinking about what to make for dinner or how she wishes she would have said something different or that we need groceries and the sink is full of dishes. Instead, she leads me out and away from that stuff. That stuff never ends, never goes away - those dirty dishes will eat up my whole day if I let them. To go out in nature and to just be with Rylie, to follow her around and to just be there . . . well, that fills my heart with gladness and lots and lots of peace.
Hello! I'm Liz Scott - mama to two little ones, maker, and all around curiosity chaser. I live with my family in Los Angeles, where we seek to fill each day with adventure, joy and creativity. I write about it all here on the blog. Thank you for visiting.
