The great outdoors!

Yesterday we had the chance to spend some time with friends at their home nestled on about 45 acres of some of the most beautiful land you have ever seen. We had so much fun and our kids came home tired, filthy, smelling like campfire, and perfectly content with their little bellies full of hotdogs and smores. I love days when they play hard and have fun because that usually means a great night sleep for us all!
Taking time to mingle with nature got me to thinking about some of life's little pleasures. I love to see my kids with mud between their toes, dirt on their backsides, and leaves tangled in their hair. I am always amazed at how many things I don't notice that my kids find and think are treaures like little rocks, caterpillars, acorns, spider webs-as long as the spider is not visable, water swirling around in little creeks where the water is so clear you can see to the bottom, "rollie-pollie" bugs, walking sticks, animal tracks, wild flowers, and a host of other little wonders.
However, I have come to realize while I enjoy these things for my kids, I have experienced a paradigm shift in myself. As a child, I would spend hours digging in the dirt, mixing it with water, and making mud cakes and pies. If my mom wasn't looking, I would sneak her hand lotion and use it to decorate my mud cakes. It really looks just like frosting BTW, at least when you are 8 years old. I swam in chocolate brown Louisiana rivers and loved the feel of cool mud on my feet and legs on a hot and humid southern day. I caught lizards, worms, and dragonflies. I went fishing and baited my own hook and cleaned my own fish. Now, here is the paradigm shift, I don't like mud on me anywhere-I wear gloves to do yardwork so my nails don't get dirty, swimming in any water that I can't see through is out of the question, fish and worms are slimy and gross- frogs are even worse, I decorate real chocolate cakes with real frosting and it even tastes better too, no more lizard earrings or weed flower bouquets, and certainly no more cold outdoor showers on the back porch with a garden hose. Although I still love to camp, gone are the days of sleeping on the hard earth, pottying behind trees, and cleaning my own fish. There are some fabulous stores that sell modern camping gear that offers luxury, comfort, and convenience. My how things have changed. I have become what Bill calls "prissy" in my older age- notice I didn't say "OLD" just "older" age. I never thought I would be called "prissy", after all, I grew up a tomboy in the backwoods of southern Louisiana. Who knew?
What a wonderful world we live in. I have also come to realize that my "prissy" ways can take a back seat to my kids exploring, learning, and just being free!