It doesn’t always seem like the logical choice, but these days we are working hard not to let the rain and lack of daylight stop us from our usual afternoon walks and adventures. After all, the boy needs to get his energy out, the dog’s gotta go, and we all need our exercise. I fully admit that it’s hard, and sometimes a struggle. I’m discouraged when I realize we are quickly kissing the sun goodbye at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. And yes, its sometimes a drag to spend all that time suiting up to protect against the cold and the rain. But the thing is, we can’t be limited to indoor play when its… [Read more…]
Visiting Pearl Harbor with Young Children: 5 Helpful Tips
Historical sites with Kids. Important, right? How about young children though? Should visiting still be a priority?
In planning our recent trip to Oahu, a visit to Pearl Harbor was a must. With so much to see in the world, we’re not always sure about return trips to far away places. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to take in such a significant piece of American history just because my child may be on the younger side of benefiting from and understanding the experience.
Western Washington Preschool Hikes: Franklin Falls
With the honeymoon phase of quiet, kid-free mornings due to our little guy (now 3 years-old) being an unusually late sleeper now officially over, we are looking at the bright side.
Yes, he used to sleep until 9, 9:30, even 10 (talk about being spoiled) o’clock in the morning, and still manage (and need) a 2-hour nap in the afternoon. Now that he’s transitioned to a regular bed though, the late mornings are a distant memory. Maybe it’s his new found freedom of being able to get out on his own. Maybe it’s an age thing. Maybe the change of space changed his mindset. Regardless, we are adjusting.
As I was saying, the bright side is…more time for adventure! We can now mange a decent hike, a decent distance away from home, and still be able to return for nap time.
Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie Pass (about an hour’s drive from Seattle) is just on the verge of being too far for a morning excursion. As long as we get into gear early enough and pack a lunch to enjoy en route, it’s possible to accomplish.
On this particular early October day, we found the trail (2 miles out and back) to be filled with mushrooms. Vibrant colors and so many different varieties, thanks to the tiny fungi spotter, we probably stopped and viewed nearly every single specimen available that day.