46/52: Babes in the Woods

We had one of those magical post-freeze fall days last week, when the bugs were mostly killed off but it warmed up enough in the afternoon for everyone to be outside barefoot. The big girls were gone for hours and I had no idea where they could be, so I took Lucy outside and followed the sound of their voices down to the slack line, where they had started building fairy houses and a very special "moss museum."

They were so happy to show me all the treasures they had discovered, including the cicada shell balanced on the end of a stick, the centerpiece of their moss museum. It was quite the dirty, dusty day. But Lucy was completely content in her little patch of pine needles! Edith was a really good baby in terms of not putting things in her mouth that didn't belong there, and Lucy seems to be following suit, I think. So, as clingy and fussy as she generally is, at least she's not likely to run out into the road or choke on an unidentified object. But really, I need more warm afternoons like this because we were all pretty glad to be out in the beautiful weather with no gnats!

There are a few dandelions out every time Edith goes outside, and she's so very pleased with them, snatching them up immediately and clutching them tightly in her grubby hands, presenting me with mushed up flowers every time she comes back inside. It's really tremendously sweet, and it's also so fun experiencing the seasons through her eyes, because she's so much more aware of everything this year. We talked for a long time about how eventually the frost would kill all the flowers, but the pansies are still hanging on, and apparently the dandelions too! She asked if she would see a butterfly when she went outside, and I explained that they won't be around again until spring... I think she gets it? Spring is going to be pretty special for her next year.

Now that all the weeds have been killed off, everyone can explore the woods more thoroughly. One of these days we really need to cut actual paths through the pine trees, but for now the kids just barrel through them pretending they've found a path, confused afterwards by all the scrapes on their arms and legs. It's pretty hilarious hearing rustling coming from the woods, only to see them emerge from some completely nonsensical spot!