Hiking with Liv and Warner

I want to remember hiking with Liv (age 5) and hiking with Warner (age 3). Warner used to be slow and kind of pokey, but who isn't slow and pokey when their legs are only 7 inches long? Now his legs are still only like 12 inches long, but he is not slow and pokey anymore. In fact, I would say he is some what of a speed demon.  He hikes the whole hike by himself, and most of the time his little legs are running and his head is down. He is almost always the leader of our group and we have to sometimes jog to catch up with him. 

On a walk with him today I commented on how fast he was. Liv and I were trying to keep up and he was probably 25 feet ahead of us and getting farther away. I said "Warner how'de you get so strong and fast?" and he said "Keecus I have to. Keecus Ine just stwong" (that's 3 year old talk for "Because I have to. Because I'm just strong").  Pause. "I dunno. I just did", he said. Great answer. 

Warner is really aware and proud of his growth. At random times through out the day he will stand up tall, put his feet together and say "Mom I gwode wast time (That's three year old talk for "I growed last time"). Look how big I am".  And while he waits for my reply he's looking at me nodding his head in reassurance. 

Liv is our little beauty hiker. She is constantly looking for things in nature that are beautiful and pleasing to her eyes. She is our one that will stop to observe a cute little worm for five minutes, or bend down to sniff a fragrant flower. She never finishes a hike with out a little bouquet in her hands of all the little leaves and wild flowers that she picked along the way. 

Hiking is my favorite thing to do with our kids.  Its free. It's refreshing. It's togetherness. It's excersize. It's beautiful, and its so peaceful.  We are all there together. It's so quiet. We stop and listen to the noises of the forest, and I just love it.