Time Outdoors

This family loves a good hike, bike, walk, run, trek, adventure, ramble, whatever you may call it - time outdoors!  Miles literally asks to go "outside" from dawn until dusk anytime he is trapped within the confines of anything with walls.  Part of me knows this is because he is my child. Another part of me wonders what kind of explorations he will find himself on in his lifetime because of this deep desire for wide open spaces. Michael predicts he will become a professional surfer - something that will match both his daring side and his need for nature. I am hoping maybe he could lean towards something less life threatening, like becoming an ornithologist... but where's the adrenaline rush in that?  Unless spotting THREE Pileated Woodpeckers at one time (like I did this morning) gets you amped up like you had a good shot of espresso! But, I know not everyone gets that excited about birds.

Anyway... we are blessed to have some great places to stretch our legs very nearby.  Miles especially loves to ride his push cycle at a local biking park.  Other bikers are literally amazed when they cruise by and see him with his helmet on, working his way through the trails!  In typical Miles fashion he loves to exclaim, "I am riding my bicycle." as they fly by on theirs.  The pictures above show us coming and going (at about the same point) after an almost 1.5 mile ride/walk... pretty exceptional for a two year old in my opinion!!

Another favorite outdoor past time for Miles is still going on a "Bug Safari."  We have enjoyed watching some Monarch caterpillars munch on milkweed on our beach this spring/summer.  We have literally watched them grow from tiny little worms to big hungry caterpillars.

Miles loves the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and I think he has especially enjoyed finding caterpillars in his own backyard!

He likes to tell me that he knows that "Monarchs like Milkweed"... and I think it is really cool that my two-year old can even identify Milkweed.

Then I remind myself that "you are a product of your own environment," and the fact that he can also identify the call of a Baltimore Oriole or a Morning Dove is something that he might also have learned from his mother :-)

Another way we have celebrated the arrival of summer is by making popsicles.  Miles loves to cool off in the evening with his strawberry smoothie popsicles that he helped make!

We have also enjoyed our back deck by dining outdoors with family and friends.  Michael got a new grill for himself as his Father's Day gift, and he has been putting it to good use! 

 

We served up some BBQ chicken, burgers, and oatmeal walnut burgers for Brian, Diana, Aunti Ei, Thea Annie, and "the Yia Yia's." It was great to catch up and celebrate with family!

Another way we celebrated Father's Day was with a backyard camp out.  We even managed to convince our friends it would be a great idea to come share the experience.

Ruben enjoyed playing with his girlfriend Emma!

We had a big dinner while it stormed outside, and then the weather cleared up just in time for our campfire.

Michael shared his first Father's Day with Ruben.

I shared a tent with Miles.  He woke up with S'more stickiness still smeared all over his face and a beautiful case of bedhead!

He was a little bit dazed, but he was excited that he slept outside. 

This was the only portrait I was able to capture of him once he woke up a little more... he is in a new phase where he does not want his photo taken, which is devastating for this photo happy mom.  On the another hand, he has shown interest in getting behind the camera... something I love to encourage.  So we are slowly compiling a portfolio of his images for his first gallery show! 

 

Miles captured these two images while we were having breakfast.  

So if you are looking for the Triant Family, we may not be off on some great adventure out of state, or even out of town this summer, but you will most certainly find us outside and learning about flora and fauna of our own backyard!