parental rediscovery #3,486

with a two-year-old, a ten minute walk from the house down to the neighborhood pool and back can turn into a forty-minute adventure.

monday’s adventure:

* because of her low center of gravity, short legs and slow stride, darby notices a lot of things on the ground. her new favorite thing is dead pine needles. she wanted to stop and pick up every one she saw.

* turning around, she noticed our long shadows cast along the sidewalk behind us. she proceeded to wave her arm wildly and laugh.

* passing a pine tree, i explained to darby that the brown pine needles start out green and attached to the tree. from then on she wanted me to lift her up to every pine tree so she could pick a green pine needle. (the brown ones are so yesterday.)

* on the way back, i got darby’s attention so she could see me kick a pine cone ahead of us on the sidewalk. then that was the game for the next ten minutes. we would take turns kicking the pine cone. she definitely got into the taking turns part. after i would kick, she would run to the pine cone, laughing, and then say, “dahbee!”. i’d say, “yep, darby’s turn.” she’d kick it and then say, “daddy!”. “okay, daddy’s turn.” kick. running. laughter. rinse. repeat.

* when daddy accidently kicked the pine cone off the sidewalk and down the hill into a ditch where it was irretrievable, we decided to find a new game. (think quick, dad…)

* what do you know? we just happened to be back at the spot on the sidewalk where darby had asked me to leave her flower (read = dandelion) from the outbound trip. that was enough to hold her fascination the rest of the way back to the house.

i love the way that being a dad helps me to slow down and remember to have fun. it’s good to think like a kid again.