Going Greeny

When you were young I took long walks. I laugh now at my use of the word, "young." Rather, when you were a month I started taking walks with you in the evening to help get my body back in shape. Sadly, it's the summertime, and the heat just progressively became worse. The pediatrician was a little skeptical that my walks were forty five minutes, even though they were at eight at night after the sun went down. You had a heat rash for a little while, and now that August has come the temperature has skyrocketed into the triple digits. Before you go thinking I was being selfish, note that I did wipe you down with wet cloths and once your rash had subsided with care it did not return. As my father points out, babies have survived the heat before there was such a thing as cool places, and in reading about breastfeeding facts say that it has enough water to hydrate a baby no matter how hot it is. (On a side note I've been reading a ton of facts about breastfeeding lately, but I'll save those for another day). I did stop the walks though altogether, happily substituting them for at home workouts. However, we now are stuck in the home like birds in a cage... flightless birds I might add since the cars are getting worked on. Even if the cage were open we wouldn't be able to get out. Still, you are three months old now, and I decided that the little park around the corner isn't so far. I think I'd like to take you there.

Below: You were too young to enjoy the park anyhow. I took you there and tried to show you things, but you would fall asleep on the short ride over and did not really wake up. Still, it was fresh air. (June 2011)

Today while Vincent was at work I took you around the apartment complex for starters. It felt so wonderful to have fresh air and I believe you craved it too. I showed you the trees around, and encouraged you to feel the bark. However, I think the brown trunks of trees and their rough feel were of little interest to you. What really impressed you were all the bushes. There are a variety here, and I am no herb expert, or even mildly schooled and can't tell you their names. I did let you feel all of their leaves. You would independently thrust your hands into them and just hold on. Some you would let go of and then feel again. Their varying textures and vibrant greens were wondrous to you. In fact, the hippy in me would say that the feeling of life in your hands was pleasing. I talked to you about nature, and how we have to be careful with it, and that the Divine is all around us and in you. We didn't spend too long because after twenty minutes or so you started to sweat a bit and I needed to change you anyway. Still, it was a good day. I'd like to do it again soon, but we were lucky since today it was cloudy. We shall see what tomorrow brings... eventually winter will come, it must!