All 4 Jake

Today's blog is a celebration of the ordinary. The "small things" that we take for granted everyday.

This is a small journey through a day in Jake's life as he searches and finds the gifts of ordinary life.

Upon waking he will sit and have breakfast, as I try to turbo charge myself with much java. We then head out for our morning walk.

On our walk we watch, observe and talk about many things. One of the first things we usually see, is Spud the duck. Spud is a pet of a neighbor. He loves to play tag. Spud literally goes and tags the kids and runs until they tag him, then the process is repeated again. As you can imagine Spud is a sure hit in our day.

We walk, talk, spell, and play "I spy" on our hour walk. This is the low hanging branch that the hawk appeared on. Amazing isn't it?!

One of the many dandelions we pick and wish upon on our trip. I only wish I could hear that little wish inside his head. I know his probably much smaller than mine.

We see signs of all kinds....literally. Jake now can spell Stop, and he also knows it is a red, octagon. He will then proceed to tell me an octagon has 8 sides and you can remember it because ocho means 8 in Spanish and "ocho" sounds like octagon. I was telling his older sister this once on a walk and apparently he heard it and caught on. The kid is amazing.

Addison, Jake and I always play the "slugbug" game in the car. This is a slugbug that sits in the school parking lot by our house. He now knows that it will be there everyday, so as we turn the corner and the slug bug is not even in sight,he proceeds to yell "SLUGBUG!"

As we 'round the corner of the school. I let Jake strap on his helmet and run through the fields to get some of his, much built up, energy out. I have now started taking a soccer ball, or baseball bat and baseballs with us.

Today I gave Jake the extra special treat of actually stopping at the playground we have frequented so many times before and never once gave a thought to. Maybe this is how Jake is able to "ride the garage door" to the top.

This is an example of something he has climbed soo many times before. I look back at pictures and he was climbing these types of structures, with grace, at around 12 months! I now walk around following the same little boy, as if he is that 9 month old new walker.

And finally, before we get Addison and the second half of our day starts, Jake gets down for a nap. Yes, this is how he really sleeps!

When we finally get Addi, his best friend, they hug their hellos and tell each other how much they missed each other. Addison then proceeds to ask Jake "How was your day?" They talk pre-school talk for about 30 minutes until they are finally sick of each other again and the whining starts back again.:-)

After errands and cooking dinner, the kids sit down for dinner, as I wait for Matt to arrive.

After, a long, educating, stressful, and always entertaining 13 hours, the kids...and Matt and I are finally ready to hit the sack. This is a typical Peters' day, but if you know the Peters, it doesn't stay "typical" for very long.

We have logged many miles and hours on our walks, but it really isn't until recently I have stopped and seen why the kids actually want to go on these exercise adventures with me. There are so many beautiful, new and intriguing things out there, that I have always taken for granted. I know, cliche, cliche, and I have been one to easily quote "he only gives this to people that can handle it," "Don't sweat the small things," " take time to appreciate every little thing." However, I feel like I am finally "getting it! Am I totally there now? Of course not, and who knows if I will ever be completely.

I do challenge everyone of us, though, to stop, let your kids walk on the curb, as if it is a balance beam, let them play 5 more minutes at the park, sit in your lap 10 more minutes, even though it is "bedtime," and let them stop to pick, even the ugliest of flowers.

The hustle and bustle of this world overtakes us all, but it is the little joy and sparkle in "the small things"that our children see, I have now come to appreciate.....finally..after all these years of it being preached.

God Bless~ Christine