retreat to the river trail

despite the fact that school starts for me in less than a week and a half and i do not have my ducks in a row, despite the fact that i was out sick for half a week during *crunch time* and feel completely beside myself with the list of things to do , despite the fact that this was the last business day of the week to line some of those ducks up, i decided to forsake it all and soak up some time with my kiddos today. sienna starts first grade in just a few days. this will be the first time she has been in school away from me and the first time she has had a full time schedule. i want to savor every minute before that shift happens.we used to go to this trail quite a bit. we lived down the road and we would mark the seasons on this well worn path along the river. however, several moms have given me reports of rattlesnake sightings and the trail is highly trafficked by the neighboring college kids, so we don't go as often as we used to.
the trail winds through the forest, the river to one side and the open pasture of the college farm to the other.
there are many trees along this path that hold a special place in our hearts. nooks and crannies revisited through the years. sienna climbing higher and higher each time we go. jasper just getting big enough to start reaching some of her favorite spots.
jasper did his share of squealing today. that is where we are at apparently. lots of squealing, almost a screech really. he wanted to be carried on the way there and definitely wanted to be carried back out. we did lots of negotiating.
though he had been geared up for an hour and had wanted to jump in the river every time he spotted it through the trees, once he actually got wet, he pouted and wanted me to dry his suit for him. sister helped persuade him out to the wee rapids that she was having so much fun in. he laughed and played but never let go of my hand, my sweet timid child.
we spotted bits of autumn peeking out already! the forest trail was the perfect temperature. breezy at times with a shower of leaves falling from the canopy. such a lovely change from the intense heat and leaving us with a longing for the cooler days to come.we we returned to the car, the cows were there waiting for us. the kids love watching them graze and swish the flies away with their tails.

on a side note, our new dandelion hill teacher, ms jessica, parked at this same spot a few hours later to go for a swim and returned to her truck to find her window smashed in and her computer bag stolen. all her curriculum notes and her studies from her teacher training at sunbridge this summer. it makes me feel sick inside. not to mention it greatly complicates things for us, especially during said crunch time. we really on the internet for our constant communications with one another as well as with the parents.

i can not imagine having emerged from the trail with my kids in tow, communing with the cows, anticipating the dry clothes and lunches awaiting us in the car to find our window smashed in!! i have had a hard time with this today. i'm sure ms jessica has too.back to the happy thoughts....these beauties are the real reason i like to go to this trail! we found a handful of buckeyes peeking up at us through the decaying forest floor. their smooth skin and their rich colors make them a delightful treasure for young and old alike.
sienna allowed me a few photographs of these beauties in her finished bowl from wood day, then she whisked them away to a special spot in her room. the bowl she sanded (with some finishing help from mom and dad) and polished with mamakopp's beeswax polish. it turned out so lovely and warm.

last year we found only two or three buckeyes, but the year before we hit the mother lode! they were abundant on the forest floor and we brought home a basket full while leaving hordes for the squirrels, too. these treasures are still in play in their play kitchen at home and the one at the preschool, too. they are one of the most played with items in our home (along with acorn caps)!

tomorrow is full to the brim with school preparations. we have sienna's first grade picnic in the morning and then ms jessica and i have a few more home visits to complete. somewhere in there we need to go shoe shopping as the little lass is in need of some new shoes for the school year.

wishing you a rewarding and relaxing weekend! xoxoxoxo