We're very lucky.
Jack is the sort of child
we all assume we'll have
when we decide to have children,
and the sort of child
less experienced parents
congratulate themselves for.January and February 2004
March and April 2004
May and June 2004
July and August 2004
September and October 2004
November and December 2004
Blogs we read:
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 - (Mamma)
A Walking Kind of Guy
During the summer, we take Jack for an hour's walk most days. The sun stays up late and it's so pleasant to walk around outdoors!
But it's been cold and snowy for months now, and as a rule, we don't take Jack for many walks when the weather is unwelcoming.
That may be a mistake on our part, though.
When we were in Sweden, the whole family set out to walk around the village of Techomatorp one afternoon. It was warm and balmy at 4.5�C and the walk only took about a half-hour at a toddler friendly pace. Rod and I enjoyed ourselves greatly. We were a little suprised that Jack enjoyed himself even more than we did. From then til now, we have become aware that Jack really, really likes to walk!
He is the only child his age that we see in the grocery stores walking instead of rising in the cart. He prefers to walk, holding Dad's hand, to riding.
Last night after work, I needed to go out to vote. The polling station isn't very far from our apartment, so I decided to take Jack and walk there. In spite of the falling snow, the dark, and the treacherous footing on snow and ice, Jack insisted on walking the entire way -- pulling me along behind him as I tried to walk more carefully to avoid a fall.
It took us about 15 minutes to walk to the polling station, where I voted. As we turned to leave, Jack asked if we could go see the ducks.
It was quite cold ( -1.11�C) and quite dark, so I explained to Jack that the ducks would be asleep -- but he wanted to check, so off we went.
We discovered that although the footpaths are cleared around the perimiter of the apartment complex, they are not cleared through the middle where the foot bridge and duck pond are. It was pretty hard going for both of us, but especially for Jack. About 10 minutes into the piles of snow and ice, I asked him if he wanted to turn back, but he didn't; he also wouldn't be carried. He was enjoying his walk, by gum! So, walk we did.
As I predicted, the ducks were huddled quite a distance away, sleeping in the only puddle of unfrozen water left. They shouted their hellos to Jack, but stayed where they were as we passed by. (In summer, they would almost always come rushing up at any hour at the promise of food.)
Jack waved goodbye to the ducks as we walked out of their territory and we went home -- another 10 minutes on cleared foot paths.
Jack had a very, very good evening after that, and Mamma noted this and decided that perhaps we should return to our walks any time the weather isn't truly forbidding.
