Bug Soccer

Today’s Challenge: Find a local outdoor outlet where you live; someplace you can go that's conveniently close and that has endless exploring opportunities, a park, a trail or even just a remote wooded area. Call it your swift sanctuary or rapid retreat. Whatever you call it, use it often.

We have four paralleling lines where I live; the train tracks, Main Street, the river and the freeway. Although Main Street's old architecture, bakery, art gallery, library and fire station are fun to visit, my favorite line to explore is the river. When we moved to this small town I was surprised to find such an extensive greenway system in place, which follows the river through town and beyond the outskirts. On those days when we're not feeling up for a big adventure that requires getting in the car, we head to the river. It's just a jaunt from our front door. And you know what Bilbo Baggins says, "It's a dangerous business...going out of your door. If you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
On one particular morning we were having troubles getting motivated to accomplish anything in our day. Picture me and my three children lounging in our pajamas until 11 a.m., blinds drawn, watching television with unbrushed hair, picking at a Tupperware full of cookies we made the night before. Our activity level was, needless to say, ranking at the bottom with rats and other sewer dwellers. Eventually our lack of nourishing food and recreation led to grouchy interactions amongst us. The kids were arguing over what to watch and the baby was clinging to me. "Okay, get dressed and get your shoes on, we're going outside!" I said, surprising myself more than anyone. "We have to get outside of this box!"After a good fifteen minutes of moaning and complaining we were standing in the garage as the door slowly rose, the light blinding us as it trickled in. It was like a scene from a bad vampire movie.
The previous day we had gone to the library for reading time. The kids played some games and each received a prize, a bug catcher with a magnifying glass, tweezers and a net. So we took the new prize and our dog with us in search of bugs dwelling down by the river.
I pushed the baby in the stroller. Cru and Corbin began scowering the ground like metal detectors, in search of bugs. Skadi, our dog, was curious to find out what the boys were doing. She stayed close to them with a inquisitive look on her face. As the boys began turning over large rocks in search of anything moving Skadi would get her muzzle right in the action. In fact, the first rock they turned over Skadi sniffed an ant up her nose. She let out a repetition of convulsive sneezes. After one last sneeze with the simultaneous shake of her head I could almost see the ant comically flying out of her nose through the air. With each rock that the boys turned over a new colony of bugs was discovered; roly polies, earwigs, firebugs, millipedes and ants. At first the boys were a bit reluctant to get near the bugs, let alone grab them with their tweezers, which they called grabber nabbers. Eventually they got use to the scrambling insects and got a system down. "Okay mom, you lift and I'll pick them up with my grabber nabbers," Cru said. Corbin was designated as the container carrier and net trapper. "1,2,3 go", I said "Ah, grab it grab it hurry they're getting away!"
After lots of turned over rocks and giggles we peered through the magnifying glass at a container full of bugs staring back at us. The kids seemed amazed by the detail that the magnifying glass gave to the bugs. They could almost count each individual leg of the millipede. They cringed at the sight of the front pinchers of the earwig, and were entranced by the red design on the fire bug's back. But their favorite seemed to be the rolly poly bug. They were in awe of it's ability to change from a crawling bug to a rolling ball. They dubbed it what any young boy would, the transformer bug; finally something to compete with Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee.
We had gone almost the entire distance of the green belt and been outside for almost two hours and not even realized it. It was amazing. We seemed to have gone from the likes of sewer rats to actual human beings; discovering, laughing and (gasp) doing!
After adding a homey atmosphere to our bug container with some grass and leaves we headed for home. On our way Cru found a tiny orange ball in the crack of the sidewalk. It looked like a pellet from an air soft pellet gun. His eyes brightened as he said, "Hey, I have an idea. They can play soccer together." Cru put the ball in with the bugs.
Once we got home the boys eyed the bugs carefully. "They look sad inside this tiny container mom," Cru said. "They're not even moving." "Well, we better let them go," I said. "They don't like being trapped inside little boxes. They were meant to be outside in the fresh air, with lots of open space. It makes them happy." They were reluctant to let their prized catches go but they knew it was the right thing to do. As they tipped the container over the bugs began to scramble out and head for a group of rocks and grass nearby. Cru took the small ball he had found and set it by the rock near the bugs. "Here you go little bugs," Cru said. "Have fun." Once the bugs were out of sight we all headed back inside the house.
In my mind I could picture those bugs peeking out to see if we had left, and once the coast was clear them laughing as they grabbed the ball and organized their own game of soccer.
If you haven’t already guessed what I learned from this experience I'll tell you. The bugs and my family are very similar. Not only do we both love soccer but we also don't belong in a box! It makes us unhappy if we're inside too long. So now on those days when we're feeling low, I open the door and like Bilbo says, step out not knowing where we might be swept off to.

Leave a comment - Tell me and others what your favorite swift sanctuary is near your home and why!

"Man must live, not only exist; he must do, not merely be; he must grow, not just vegetate." - Spencer W. Kimball (Miracle of Forgiveness)
"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play." - Herodotus, Greek historian
"The healing powers of nature are only limited by man's idleness." - Mystical Batwoman

Cross-country skiing

Since the snow won't seem to budge around here and the rest of the northern United States I thought I'd hit on one of my favorite winter activities... Cross-Country Skiing!!! I can't emphasize enough how much I love this activity. I discovered it in college but really got into it when I was pregnant with my first child. It was a great way to stay in shape during the long winter months while I had a Buddha belly. And I was able to do it right up to the day before he was born, literally, the day before. It even rivals my all time favorite pregnant yoga video, "Prenatal Yoga". Picture three pregnant ladies in leotards and one is named Poppy and she's in her third trimester. It was a workout in itself just trying to hold the poses while keeping the laughter in check. However, it always made me feel better doing either yoga with Poppy or cross-country skiing. They each made my mid-section feel stretched and relaxed. I always felt I had a little more growing room for that baby after I was done.
Cross-country skiing is also a low impact, whole body workout. Being low impact helps a lot; especially when pregnant because when you get closer to delivery your body releases a hormone that softens up the joints, and injuries can occur easily.
I also love it because you can see things you wouldn't normally be able to see in the winter. And you don't have to have the screaming engine or exhaust of a snowmobile to get you to the backcountry, just a good kick and glide.

After the baby was born I perfected my balancing skills on the skis and was able to carry him in a pack without any major wipeouts. I first used the front pack when he was an infant and then switched to the back-pack when he got older. Every time I started swaying back and forth he would fall fast asleep.
I would reccommend keeping in mind that when you do go cross-country skiing with your child you will be warm because you'll always be in motion, but the baby will get a bit chilled from just sitting in one spot. I had to learn to layer my little guy up really good. (Props for the fleece onesies)

After having my second child I desperately wanted a pull-behind sled called a Kinder Sled. But now I have a new obsession. My awesome sister-in-law and her friend just introduced me to another type of sled. See comment below It's called a Chariot Carrier. I'm drooling. They are so rad, and I use that word sparingly. They can be used for running, biking, hiking or x-country skiing!

(Pictures of Chariot courtesy of fellow outdoor nature nurturer Katy Furniss - St. Anthony, Idaho)

Our two oldest kids are big enough now that we've gotten them their own skis. We found some inexpensive options on Ebay. I got the L.L. Bean skis for my youngest. They had a snake on them and that alone made him fall in love with skiing. He wears his normal snow boots and then tightens the adjustable straps from the skis around them. My sister in law passed on a larger set of skis for my oldest. They're the older style of bindings but work as good as ever. We have hiking poles that adjust to their height and have an attachable basket. So they use those when they want to look like Mom and Dad. But most of the time they choose to not use poles. It seems to be easier for them to swing their arms. The kids certainly don't go as far or as fast as I would like but they're learning. And if I've realized anything about kids, it's that you can't push them into anything or they won't like it. So I get my longer trips in with my husband and then set out with my kids having a different goal or mind-set... not distance but discovery!

I recently took my dog Skadi with me to our local golf course and went for a short free hill glide. I quickly realized that I can control my kids on skis much more than I can control my dog. Because she was following close behind me, her front claws clicked on the back of my skis for a good three miles straight. And thanks to a dog I had before Skadi my ski poles don't look like your average cross-country poles; they look more like downhill racing poles. They're bent terribly bad because every time I would plant my pole to push off, my dog would run right into it. Although I was frustrated with Skadi's close connection with my skis I have to say it would break my heart to keep her home. She had a great time and seemed in her element, flushing a few ducks from the trees and even spooking a deer out of the bushes.

Headlamps and Glow Sticks

For Christmas we bought the boys headlamps! Best stocking stuffers we've done in a long time. I think I will stitch their names in the bands so we can distinguish between the two. They've mostly been using them for looking at books after lights out but we were able to finally use them for something more this weekend. We went to Black Dragon in the San Rafael Swell. It's a beautiful deep slot canyon that runs for miles. It has ancient drawings and lot's of different mineral deposits. Damon took us into a deep cave, located in the canyon, that he had explored earlier last summer. The boys were so excited to go that they put their headlamps on a good two hours before we got there. As we entered the cave they were a bit timid, but once we were inside they were wide eyed! It seemed they were entranced more by the ray of light coming from their lamps, than the cave itself, however. Corbin was trying to grab the particles of dust floating through the beam of light. We started chanting, "Spiders and bats, bats and spiders" A little line from our favorite Little Einsteins movie. They had to go to the deepest darkest part of the cave before we retreated. I could tell their own personal lights made them feel like little adventurers.
Glow sticks are another favorite magic item for us when camping. Damon took the boys on a father and sons camp out with some other friends. One of the dads broke out a handful of glowsticks and automatically he was the man of the hour. Since then they've become a neccesity on all camp-outs that provide hours of fun for the kids and a comforting glow during the dark night.

Bring the dog along!

Introducing...Skadi! A 50 lb. lug of hairy licking lovingness. We named her after a Norse snow goddess and ironically her name means "destruction". Like any dog she has definitely destroyed many a things at our house ranging from shoes to a hot tub cover. I won't go into that because I'm already tense just thinking about it. But even though our dog has her downfalls she is still a part of the family and that means we love her and take her almost everywhere with us!
Skadi is a yellow labrador retriever. She's about two years old. She's beginning to show signs of intelligence and control but her puppiness still shines through sometimes.
Skadi loves the outdoors. Knee deep snow, heavy brush or winding trail, she's there. When we begin to put things in the backpack and put shoes on she's turning in circles and heading for the door with excitement.
Our latest hike with Skadi was to Mary's bathtub, a steep boulder-strewn incline which follows a small creek. At the end there is a tall waterfall and cave. It lies near Joe's Reservoir, close to Huntington, Utah.
Before we even hit the trail head she was wet and muddy up to her haunches. She spent a lot of her time nosing through brush, zigging and zagging across the trail, sniffing out an earlier passerby. When she got thirsty she went pouncing into the creek lapping up the cold water. And of course she periodically would pull her little prank of choosing to shake the water all over us whenever we were near. She was good about roaming and exploring and then coming back and checking in with us though. Because of the boulders we had to climb over and the steep incline, by the time we got back to the LandRover she was exhausted. She slept all the way home.
Even though she is a dog and has natural outdoor instincts, I highly doubt she could survive very long in the wild. We try to prepare for her. We have a handy packable way to store food and water for her. We have these bowls made out of fabric, gore-tex I believe. The top bowl holds food and has a draw string cord to keep it closed tight. Another bowl attaches under that bowl with a zipper. When she's thirsty and we're not near water we simply unzip the bottom bowl and fill it with water from our Nalgenes. Much more convenient and appetizing than letting her try and lap up the water while we pour it from our own water bottles.
We usually throw her bowls in our pack when going on longer hikes. But usually we just leave it in the car.
Some people prefer to have their dog carry their own stuff. There are these nifty backs that are made for dogs that have a harness system on them. Usually they have two zipper pouches that lay on both sides of the dog. I think this would be needed especially on backcountry trips. Our personal preference is to let Skadi be free of weight. That way she can squeeze through all the crazy places she explores and jump in all the rivers she wants without us worrying about her or whatever is in the pack. But I would buy one in the future if we begin to take her on longer treks.
It makes me smile everytime I see Skadi in her natural surroundings. She reminds me of a little kid playing in a sandbox. She truly loves it. And I'm glad we can provide that time in nature for her.
I'll be posting some more about Skadi and the equipment we like in the future. But until then let me know about your dog! Leave a comment about your dog's favorite spot or what you think about backpacks for dogs. Later!

Gorilla Bars

Setting: Red Fish Lake, Stanley, Idaho
In Attendance: Family
Activity: Hiking

My husband Damon, fiance' at the time, bravely attended a camping trip with my entire family for the first time. We went on several hikes during this trip but one will stand out for all time and eternity to Damon and I. Damon wore the all covetous pack with the snacks in it, filled with licorice, granola bars, fruit roll-ups and etc. So needless to say my nieces and nephews were like ducks in a row behind him. The hike was a success. No one was lost or hurt and everyone had a great time. What made this hike memorable was due to my nephew Egan. Part way into the hike he couldn't handle it any longer. He had to have a snack..."Damon, Damon can I have a gorilla bar?" From that moment on granola bars have been dubbed "gorilla bars" and known as nothing else!


Gorilla bars are a staple at our house. They come in so many different varieties and nutricional values, the selection is limitless. Our other staple during outdoor adventures is licorice. Not full of healthy calories but yummy and perfect packability. If where we are going is close to home we pack our own lunches. One tip* if you make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches be sure to put them in a small tupperwear before putting them in a backpack. Otherwise it will end up being mashed, unrecognizable pb&j, that no one will eat. The same goes for yougurt...yes, even though it already has a lid...believe me.

In my opinion nothing is better than fresh fruit after spending time outside. I can still taste that grapefruit I peeled in the parking lot of Targhee after a great morning of snowboarding, the apple after one hour of snowshoe worthy switchbacks while in search of a frozen waterfall up Darby Canyon and the peach looking over Union Falls after a good 8 miles.
I'm a little bit plain Jane when it comes to what I eat on outdoor retreats. We usually take the same stuff every time, but I guess that's because it's what works. I would love some more ideas though.

If you have any idea's on packable yummy snacks, that are kid friendly, let me and the rest of the world know. Leave a comment.

Hydration For Kids

One crucial element of hiking and enjoying time outside is staying hydrated. As a parent it's important that we stay conscious of our children and how much liquids they are consuming. One of my children will drink anything on the planet if it's got some kind of color additive in it, but when it comes to clean and clear water he won't swallow unless I'm hovering over him like a hawk. He has gotten better with time though and I think that has to do with the way we've learned to present it to him.
We went and explored Goblin Valley in South East Utah this last summer. It is an amazing place that makes you feel as if you're on another world with mushroom shaped sandstone scattering the landscape. We were visiting in August! If you don't already know it's unbelievably hot there during this time of year. We decided to go during the cooler part of the day but it was still roasting. In our Kelty Kids pack, that we carry our youngest child in, there is a built-in hydration bladder. On this particular day we filled the bladder which has a tube that connects to the shoulder strap of the backpack. You simply lift it to your mouth, bite down a little and suck. It's great! But since there were five of us on this adventure we needed more water than just what was in the bladder. So we took another daypack, our favorite Lowe Alpine, which can hold two Nalgene water bottles, a powerade, a first aid kit and snacks. The Nalgene bottles are the kids favorite. We let them make it their own by having them pick it out from the store and then decorate it with stickers. That little bit of independence seemed to make them more excited to drink from their very own waterbottle. They began to stop frequently to take a couple swallows. We also put some water and powerades in the car for when we returned from the hike. Just in case we needed a little more.
These Nalgenes are no ordinary water bottles. They are made of polycarbanate. Which means your small child could through it off the cliff of the Grand Canyon and you'd still find it at the bottom as good as new. They also can withstand extreme temperatures from freezing to boiling. When we go camping we like to fill them up with boiling hot chocolate at night and then put it in our sleeping bags to keep us warm and cozy. When we wake up it's the perfect drinking temperature. They also have Nalgene sippy cups that don't leak when tipped over and that are easy to grip for small hands, perfect for babies and toddlers. Oh and one other thing. It doesn't retain tastes, ordors or stains. As one retailer put it, you can find three-day-old chocolate milk under your couch and still get the roton smell out! Now as parents I'm sure we can all relate to that. Can I have a Hallelujah!