Pausing

Sometimes I get frustrated.  Colin and I will be walking around the block, and he'll stop, plop himself down, and start digging at a crack in the sidewalk.  He notices every single airplane that flies overhead.  He points out every dog, boat, rock, truck, and letter "Y". A quick walk around the block can take (what seems like) forever. 

My life feels so rushed, hectic, and scheduled that I often forget to just let the boys stop and explore the world around them. I want to run the meeting if you will - "Colin, look at this, let's do this..". The thing is, Colin and Jack have their own agendas.  I need to put mine on pause, and listen to theirs. 

Stopping to look at a ladybug, feel blades of grass, smell a flower, or splash in a puddle are exciting adventures to them. I need to re-focus, and look at the world through their eyes, at their level.  

So, even if that quick walk around the block takes 30 minutes, I'm going to let Colin lead the way, not hurry him, and most importantly listen. We'll explore, learn, and dig into that crack in the sidewalk together...

Jack picking the flowers (and subsequently eating them) while enjoying the early summer sun

Colin playing the grass, instead of looking at the camels at the zoo!