MY BOGGY BLOG: find your way through the murk

Laboring with Little Kids

We spent Labor Day at what has become an annual tradition for our family-- going to the Bluegrass Festival at Minnehaha Falls Park. They have live music from 2-8 pm, crowds of people there to enjoy it. We bring our blankets and a picnic, meet our friend D there, feast together and then walk down to the falls and the hikind paths along the creek. We've been lucking out with great sunny weather, sometimes a bit cool like yesterday, but still fine picnicking weather.

Today we had some other guests join us too-- older DS brought a friend along, and then my friend C from St. Cloud and her four girls, ages 14, 6, 4 and almost 2. There are some physical disabilities among the younger ones, but that doesn't stop them from being loving to move, sometimes very quickly away from our picnic blanket, and enjoying life to the fullest.

We had a full day of adult chatter, chasing kids, getting everyone fed, supervising play, 10 stressful moments when we didn't know where C's 6 yr old was or my 10 yr old, lost in a huge park with hundreds of people. Some of us stayed with the little kids while others grabbed cell phones and older kids and went searching... only to find them at the playground where everyone had already looked! We also went hiking down to the falls, let kids get wet in the shallow creek-bed, and walked and walked. Our friend D, a naturalist, pointed out the plant "touch-me-nots" to us, which have seedpods that explode when you touch them.

When we got back, dusk was approaching and the air was getting cool. We helped C gather her kids and stroller and all that stuff you need for little kids and picnics. It was very fun to have a big group to picnic with, and the little kids added a lot of fun and energy to the day... but oh, it was exhausting for us grownups to keep up with them! I remember how hard the physical work is with little kids, and how much easier that part is now that mine are older. C is in the thick of her "labor days" with her little girls... the Real Labor Days, full of work but also full of joy. (You can guess how many hugs and kisses came our way from the 2 and 4 year olds. Just some of the rewards!)