A Walk And A Game And Some Patience Please

One of the great things about living in a university town is all there is to do!

Another great thing is the emphasis placed on conservation. One of my son's favorite places to go is our local nature preserve. There are numerous forest trails that even the smallest kids can enjoy and special programs held year round. We went out today hoping to join the nature walk, but overcast skies kept most people away. We decided to stay and walk some of the trails on our own, something we'd never done before. If you are hoping to hear of a peaceful walk through the woods where all we did was enjoy the beautiful sounds of nature, you will be disappointed. You see, I'm not all that comfortable with being alone in the great outdoors. Blame it on all those scary movies we used to watch at slumber parties growing up (my dad always said they would warp my mind). I feel somewhat creepy and eerily isolated when it's just me and two small children in the woods alone. Add to that a four-year-old asking over and over and over again to get to the waterfall trail that I had no idea how to find and a teething baby ready to be nursed, well it was much more nerve-wracking than peaceful. How I long for patience. I seek it. I pray for it. I yearn for it. Yet it often eludes me. Today was another day I lost that battle.

Fast forward two hours and things had calmed down a bit for us to enjoy a baseball game. Yet another great thing about a university town: the sports! We live in college football country, and I wouldn't want it any other way. But there are so many other sports to enjoy as well. The baseball games are affordable and with the weather being this pleasant, it was a nice night to watch a game. We actually bought season tickets this year and are hoping to enjoy quite a few afternoons and evenings at the ballpark.

I love being able to go places around town with my kids. But, as any parent knows, it's not always a walk in the park.