Must Love Babies

Down By the River

What's fun, free and something that the dog can be in on, too? Playing in the river!

We live off the Rappahannock River, and in all our time here, we have never gotten over there to hang out. We think about it all the time, we drive by and see people tubing, sunbathing, cooking out, swimming, etc. but I don't know -- we just never have actually made it over there ourselves somehow.

Today we wanted our dog Stevie to be in on the fun since we feel like she is left out a lot lately. So the five of us headed down to a popular spot on the river and had at it. The girls instantly found rocks to throw and see how big of a splash they could make. My husband took Stevie off her leash and let her splash around, chasing rocks he threw. She was in heaven.

Until the lifeguard came over and ruined her fun by insisting she be leashed. It is hard to run through the water chasing a rock when you are tethered to a five-foot leash. I understand the kid was just doing his job, but almost no one was at the beach, and the couple people who were there were far away. Really, he couldn't have looked the other way for a few minutes? Ah well, at least she got a bit of time and some time outside the house.

The girls got soaked in their clothes -- I didn't pack any extras since I doubted they would even venture in ankle-deep. They kept squatting down to dig up rocks in the river bed, and before we knew it, their shorts were soaked. It was a lost cause so we just let them go for it. We decided to embrace the -- uh -- country-ness of it all and we let them ride home in only a diaper. Josie is really a nudist at heart (and Caroline's not much better) so they were really loving the breeze on the trip home.

The girls have talked about the river all afternoon, so we know we'll have to go back -- this time in bathing suits. Maybe we can find a secluded spot with no lifeguard to let the dog off the leash for a little bit. And maybe Mommy will even venture in past her toes (I have a thing about slimy river beds). Maybe.

Let 'Em Run

I have this theory that dogs are meant to be off leash and not tied up or tethered unless necessary. Necessary = vet visits, unruly, untrained or bad-mannered dogs, PetSmart trips, that kind of thing. I do think that it is important dogs be leash trained and can walk politely on a leash, and I also think leash time is important to the dynamic of the dog-owner relationship. But I also feel that dogs are wanderers and explorers by nature, and unless their breed or temperament excludes them from safely wandering off leash, they should be allowed to do just that in an appropriate area. 

I feel likewise about toddlers. When toddlers do finally get their legs, they want to use them 100% of the time. That's when you see them start to fight about getting in the carseat, the stroller, the seat of the grocery cart. I am lucky; my girls don't give me too much trouble in that area. But I also see the look of unbridled glee on their faces when they are allowed to wander. It makes us think that "off leash" time for them is just as important as it is for the dog!

A couple weekends ago we took them to the battlefields for a little nature walk. Both girls stuck by us at the beginning but it didn't take long for the wandering to begin:

Josie and Caroline obsessed over this little footbridge. They walked back and forth over it at least 50 times.

Caroline was our little biologist/geologist... she picked up and examined just about everything she saw.

Josie spent her time looking around, choosing her favorite spots, and sticking with them. It was tough to get her to move on sometimes!

Stevie (our dog) was also in her happy place!

This time of year is so awesome for getting outside... no sweating, sunburns, bees... and I know we will be hitting up parks, trails, playgrounds and fields for some more fall fun! Best part? Everyone loves it and it's FREE!

Sometimes I think dogs and kids aren't so far apart. They both give unconditional love, they both forgive easily, they both have a need to explore, they both need love, time, care and attention. I would love nothing more than to see my kids grow up to have a respect for nature and to love being outside, getting fresh air and sunshine. Hopefully we can foster that by letting them run around and discover the natural world on the regular!

Free Photo Calendar from VistaPrint

This deal is now over!

Just wanted to tell you all about an offer going on over at VistaPrint. They are offering a FREE Photo Wall Calendar from now until Friday, August 26th, 2011. I haven't used them for photo calendars yet, but I have created photo calendars online and I have used VistaPrint for other things, and I have been happy with both!

There are two things I love about photo calendars. One, they are great to hang on to and look at years later, especially if you have kids! We have one on our wall right now and I used pictures from the same month the year before. It's nice to look back and see what the girls looked like a year ago and see where we were and what we did.

The other thing I love is that they make cool grandparent gifts! It's a personalized, meaningful gift (for just a few dollars shipping with this deal!). And making it now means it is ready for the holidays -- one gift down!

Click here to check out the deal. Shipping starts at under $6.