HIKING AT FOURTH OF JULY CANYON

There are few things out there that rejuvenate me like a long hike. Since we've known we were going to leave Albuquerque, we've been trying to make the best of our time here by getting out of the house often. We have a long list of things we want to do before moving day, but I'm sure we won't get to them all. One of our favorite things to do as a family is go hiking, especially since Noble was born, so that part of the list has become priority. It's the one place that the three year old doesn't have to be entertained 90% of the time, but still gets out enough energy to not fight her nap - and the baby just passes out in the Ergo. When it was just Ev, getting outside for a hike was simple once we got a routine down. Hiking with two has become a bit more complicated, especially since Ev doesn't fit in a carrier anymore. She really is an expert hiker for a three year old, but we have to put a lot of thought into which trails she'll enjoy and be prepared to turn around early. Though some days I feel like a herd dog biting at the ankles of a sheep, we still make an effort to go often. Cultivating a love of nature in my kids is one of the most important aspects of being a parent for me. I've been reading Last Child in the Woods over the last month or so. Louv urges people to consider time in nature for children as essential for their health as good food, loving parents, and a full night of sleep. Time outside shouldn't be a extracurricular activity or something reserved for vacation - it should be an integral part of their day.

On this day, my mom was here visiting and we all woke up ready to get out of the house. Alex had a long weekend and we had originally wanted to go camping, but just couldn't get all of our t's crossed and i's dotted in time, so we settled for a hike somewhere we'd never been before. Fourth of July Canyon is known for its Fall colors due to the Maple trees growing in the area (uncommon for New Mexico). The drive out there was intense, ending with 7 miles on a winding dirt road, so we were glad to have four wheel drive. We did the easy one mile trail where Ev was glad to run wild, blow dandelion fluff, and talk about dinosaur tracks (and how it looked like they were chasing the horse tracks + that we needed to save the horses), then we started on the 6.5 mile loop. We made it a mile or two and decided to turn back, but I definitely want to see the rest. As I looked through the pictures of her blowing the dandelions, I realized I had taken similar pictures almost exactly a year ago in Brooklyn. Watching her grow is such a beautiful thing.

If you're local and looking for a similar hike a bit closer to home, we found a new favorite at the base of the Sandias. We were only able to hike the Sulphur Springs trail, but rumor has it there's a creek on the neighboring trail.

MOTHER'S DAY HIKE

 

 

 

I'm a pretty easy woman to please when it comes to holidays. Even being four weeks postpartum, all I wanted to do was get out of the house. I had been talking about hiking basically since an hour after Noble was born and though I wasn't medically cleared yet, I felt good enough and wanted to get some exercise, so I did. The differences between the first and second baby are comical. I'm pretty sure I hadn't even gotten up enough energy to do the dishes four weeks after Ev was born. Alex knows me all too well - his gift was bringing the tripod along to get a family picture. . . but we forgot the piece that actually attaches the camera to the tripod, so that was a no go. We did the next best thing and tried to use the camera strap to somehow rig the camera up on the tripod, hence the picture up there with just Evie's arm in it. Then we just decided to use a log, nature's tripod, and that worked out swimmingly. We weren't at all prepared for how cold it would still be up on the peak, but we don't give up easily. We scrounged around in the car for abandoned clothes, Alex gave Ev his flannel shirt that fit her like a dress, and we were on our way. We chose the 10k trailhead up on Sandia Crest because we'd been here before (on our third anniversary actually) and didn't want to push our luck driving around looking for a new spot on our first hike with two kids. Once we got moving, it wasn't quite as cold, but we still pretty much had all the trails to ourselves. Alex has been on this 'prepping' kick lately, so we basically have stockpiles of MREs around the house. He grabbed one of those for all of us to share and Evie didn't stop shouting the entire time, 'This is the best picnic EVER!' It reminded me so much of something my Dad would have done. Everything he did was magic when I was a little girl. I'm always astounded at the beauty and flourishing wildlife that is just a short drive from a barren desert. New Mexico is a quirky place - it really never stops surprising me.

52 IN 2014 • WEEKS 36 + 37 + 38 + 39 + 40

36/52.

09.09.2014

You are not a quiet child. Sometimes that can be a challenge, but for the most part I really love it. I love the glimpses it gives me into your personality and interests and ideas. I tell you often, "I like you just the way you are.' I mean it - and I love that you always say it right back, "I like you just the way you are too, Mama!' Sometimes I get a little silly and sing it to you in jingle form. You especially like that. Bath time is one of your only quiet times. You get so engrossed with the bubbles and water - turning them over in your hands, bringing them close to your face, putting them on your head, pouring water out of a cup over and over and over again. It's become one of my favorite things to take pictures of. It's such a pure look into your curiosity.

37/52.

09.12.2014

Today we left our beloved Brooklyn in search of roots and 'home.'

38/52.

09.21.2014

There is a part of you that will always undeniably be a city kid. You thrived on the bustle and stimulation. You loved the life of walks to the park, subway rides, and beach days - but a certain light shines in your eye when you're out in nature. I'm talking about the kind of nature that can't be recreated in Prospect Park with manicured trails and 'carefully constructed playgrounds. You are enamored by the wildness of it all. This is what we came back to New Mexico to give you - untamed nature and untainted childhood wonder. We started our life here off right with a hike at Carlito Springs and while it isn't as 'untamed' as I speak of, it made us all breath a little easier and appreciate the beauty of a place that was once home. I'm looking forward to taking you on many trips in search of adventure here.

39/52.

09.27.2014

A few weeks back, we road our bikes down to a little park under the Verrazano bridge and threw a baseball around. Papa and I took a break in the grass and you started to gather the sticks around us. You put them into a big pile and requested a 'fort.' How a kid who has been in Brooklyn as long as her memories have been forming knew what a fort was is beyond me. It must be innate. So we hopped up and into action and built you a little makeshift fort from branches that had fallen out of those city park trees. You were delighted. Since being back in Albuquerque, Papa has had trouble finding work, so we've had a bit of time on our hands. He's been outside practicing his survival shelter building skills and other things that tickle his fancy and you've been tromping around right behind him. We often call you Donny as an ode to the kid from the Wild Thornberrys because you're basically a tornado of noise and always barefoot with a messy face and wild hair. I absolutely love you that way. I love our talks we have about 'wock cowwections' and bugs and animals and how you gather sticks and pretend to build a fire. The way you can turn any ordinary place into a wilderness to be explored is inspiring.

40/52.

09.28.2014.

You have an unwavering obsession with 'smarshmallows' these days, so I picked some up at the grocery store and we built a little fire in the driveway.

It's been a little quiet over here as I plow through all of the things on my to-do list before the baby comes. I've been sorting through and backing up all of our old pictures and in the process, I managed to finish posting my 365 project from 2013 (weeks 45 -52 if you'd like to reminisce with me) and have now started finishing up this 52 project.

OUR FIRST SNOW!

Ev is really one of the only two year olds I've ever met who is so in tune with the weather. Each day she wakes up, each walk we take, she always mentions what the weather is like. 'It's windy today, Mama! The sun is out right now! It's rainy outside today!' As she watches the sky grow darker from the windows, she always says something along the lines of, 'It's almost night time, Mama?' As we drove over the hills and through the mountains headed into Albuquerque yesterday, she saw a hint of light on the edge of the horizon and said, 'The sun is almost down guys.' As we came to the last bend in the highway and looked out over the city, she spotted all the city lights and said, 'It was probably just all dose lights, huh?' She's been sensing the change in weather and noticing things like us putting on jackets before going outside. When she'd ask why I would tell her Winter is coming. From all of the books we've read, she knows Winter and snow go together, so she would look out the window for snow each time I said that. She's been waiting for snow for months. I'm not even sure she knew exactly what snow was, just that the concept of it was exciting. The morning of our first snow here, she woke up and peeled apart the blinds like she always does and yelled, 'Hey! There's snow out der! Winter is here!' and finished that off with a celebratory jump off the bed. The one thing she couldn't stop talking about as we donned our snow gear was tasting the snow. She remembered when I made her snow cream for the first time at our old house close to a year ago.

So we ventured outside after we had gotten all bundled up and put some breakfast in our bellies and Ev decided the first thing she wanted to do was sit and eat mittens full of snow. We went for a little walk through the woods and she spotted the Juniper berries still on the branches covered in white. We put a bowl out to catch the flakes still falling from the sky. We hit the slopes a few times with our sled in hand, but decided there wasn't quite enough on the ground to make it worth the effort. Alex tried to show her how to make a snow angel, but she was adamant that the snow would get in her eyes. When we headed back inside we made snow cream together and followed it up with a bubble bath and cups of hot tea. Later, Alex came home from work and Ev recited each ingredient of snow cream to him - there aren't many, but I gave her props for being two and remembering a recipe. This really was the perfect snow day in my opinion - the snow was fluffy, not a bit sludgy, the temperature wasn't frigid and there was no wind trying to make it's way through your jacket and into your soul. I'm probably the worst grump you'll ever meet when it comes to Winter, but my joy in each season has increased since having a two year old that loves everything about every season.

HIKES, FORTS + FALL PLANS • HELLO OCTOBER!

A few days before this she picked up a random stick, held it like this and said, 'I'm dow-ing hite-ing!
You coming, Mama?' I have no idea where she saw that because neither of us use walking sticks when we hike.

 

'Wook! I have kitty cat ears!'

 

She hiked pretty much the entire trail at Carlito Springs Open Space.
The county just opened it to the public for the first time last month.

We once built a tiny fort for Ev on a whim in a Brooklyn park and she never stopped talking about it.

We thought we'd show her what real forts look like.

As we try to find our 'new normal' here in Albuquerque again, we've been spending a lot of time outside hiking and building forts. The weather has been beautiful, but you can feel the chill of Fall beginning to set in. Even after being gone for a year, we've sort of gone straight back to our old routine. We've picked up where we left off and have been making plans to frequent all the Fall festivities that used to be tradition for us. The Balloon Fiesta starts this weekend and I'm hoping I'll be able to drag Papa Bear out of bed for the early morning ascension. We've usually always gone at night when the balloons flicker, but don't fly (and they have fireworks) because it was easier with Ev, but I think she's old enough to really enjoy seeing the balloons ascend and make the 5:00 A.M. wakeup call worth it this year. The Pumpkin Patch is, of course, on our list for this month too (a little video of last year's Fall festivities). We've also made plans to head up to Los Alamos with some friends of ours for a resale we always attend and get the majority of Ev's clothes at. We're usually able to fit in a few hikes while we're there and the Fall colors are always gorgeous.

What kind of Fall festivities do you have planned for this month?
Happy weekend!

P.S. from the archives:  a Fall book list for toddlers • a leaf craft • another leaf craft