Cabin fever set in FOR REAL a few days ago.  We have been a little cranky and restless around here over the past few days.  By "we" I mean Reed, Echo, and me.  Especially me.  And by a little cranky I mean super-duper cranky.

I have been a very cranky Mama!  There- I said it.

I get cabin fever so bad in the winter.  Just leaving the house won't cure it.  I need fresh air!  I need to be outside!  GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!

​So before I lost my marbles, we did!

Jacob has been traveling for the past week, so Reed, Echo, and I bundled up and made our way to the Cincinnati Nature Center.  It was a brisk 32 degrees this morning for our little hike.

"Little hike."  Ha!

In my cabin-fevered state, I let Reed pick the trail.  That's right... I let a 4-year-old who can't read maps but does like the color purple pick the trail.  So, he picked the purple trail.

​The "Geology" trail.

Did you know that the purple trail is 2 hours long with a preschooler and a pointer?  Did you know the purple trail goes over a river three times?  In FEBRUARY?!  Did you know that I had to carry Reed over the river three times because my boots are, thankfully, waterproof? 

I also found out that Reed thinks crossing the creek with Mama is the funniest thing ever.  Especially when she is laughing hysterically at the crazy situation she has found herself in and tugging a pup along, too.

​I usually make better life choices.

The river was also absolutely beautiful.  Once we were across, of course, we did take a moment to throw rocks and appreciate the waterfalls and river sounds.

The purple trail also has FLOWERS!  Tons and tons of little yellow flowers.  Spring is coming, people!

Amidst the river crossings and staircases, we had an excellent and memorable hike.  The cabin fever is definitely gone.  I am ready for a nap!

​  I am so proud of Reed.  Even though I didn't have to encourage him along at all, I had to give myself a pep talk or two along the way.  I had better get in shape for summer to keep up with these two!

Hey-- did you know that Reed loves music?

Did you know that I love to write about it?  And him?

I know that you know all of that, and I am thankful that you read my posts anyway.

I looked back in my Facebook feed, and we bought TLO his first guitar on Valentine's Day of 2017.  He was a little over two years old, and a piano followed a few months later.

"Look- a PAIN-O!   Um... um... I need, I need, I need a stool."

He has been a music man ever since!

So many memories!

I am so very thankful for the role that music has played in Reed's life so far, and I am excited to see how this story unfolds. We do our best to nurture the interest; we keep a variety of praise and worship music playing in the house, watch music videos of Christian artists, and see a few concerts a year. In fact, I just purchased tickets this week to see Mercy Me in April!

This past Saturday, we decided to expand our musical horizons a bit by visiting Music Hall, the site of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.  Apparently, the Cincinnati Pops puts on a "Lollipops"  concert for children ages 2-9 a couple of times a year.  Of course we decided to check it out!

I am so glad we did!

Let me just mention that this was my first-ever orchestra experience as well.  I really have very little musical talent or experience.

In other words, I was just as excited for this concert as he was!

The doors opened an hour before the concert for the "Family Fun Zone".  During that hour, the kids were able to try out all kinds of instruments (guided and sanitized by instructors, of course) and do a craft related to the concert.

I'm not sure what he is doing here with the clarinet.  Any musicians out there who can help me out, or are you just as confused as I am?

The violin was my favorite!

We visited as many music stations as we could, then moved on to the craft tables.  

I'll admit it- Reed is just not a craft guy... not when he is in a room full of instruments, anyway.  I did at least half of this hippo, and then he promptly threw it in the garbage not even five minutes later.

Yes, that is a hippo.

The craft is supposed to resemble Fiona, the beloved hippopotamus who was nurtured to health after being born prematurely at the Cincinnati Zoo. She's an icon here in Cincy- like there are books and jewelry and t-shirts and Christmas ornaments and stuffed animals and, yes, orchestras made in her honor.

I am not a Fiona super-fan or anything, but I do enjoy her story, and I am a TLO super-fan.  

The concert's title was "Fiona's Playlist", and the program included animal songs like "Mickey Mouse March", "Carnival of the Animals", "Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and, my favorite, "Circle of Life".  The concert also included a few children's songs about Fiona by a Grammy-nominated children's musician and Cincinnati native Zak Morgan.  A zookeeper from the Cincinnati Zoo popped onstage in between songs with different animals and joked around with the conductor while giving facts about the zoo, animals, and conservation.

Reed was riveted for the entire hour of the concert.  We relaxed, munched on yogurt-covered pretzels, and talked about the different instruments and sounds.  "Fiona's Playlist" was the perfect introduction to the orchestra for Reed... and me!

One of my favorite things to do to pass a cold January or February evening is to dream of summers past and plan future adventures.  Jacob and I always joke that planning a trip is half the fun of the trip itself.  Would you agree?

Last summer, we were fortunate to experience several amazing family adventures.  I was not able to blog any of them, but I saved the pictures to share when I had the time.  I am so excited to begin putting together these posts!

We spent the first half of the summer in the Cincinnati area.  I took quite a few classes at Miami for my Master's program, and we welcomed Isaac, my sister and brother-in-law's son, and Rosie, my brother and sister-in-law's daughter, to the family in May and June, respectively.  Reed and I spent the long, lazy days between home, the amusement park, the nature center, and the zoo.

Simply being able to spend a summer at home with my family was an amazing blessing in itself, but we were able to travel a bit in the second half of the summer, too!  Our first trip was to Assateague Island National Seashore.

We fell in LOVE with this natural, rugged, peaceful seashore.  Located on the coast of Maryland and Virginia, Assateague is a world of its own and a complete treasure.  There is no lodging on the island, only campgrounds, so we found ourselves immersed in nature and completely surrounded by naturalists, explorers, and adventurous families.

Our campground was a short walk from the beach, but there were campsites on certain sections of the beach as well.  We quickly found our reservation, set up camp, and got our toes in the sand!

The beaches were not completely empty, but they were not populated in the same way of some of the more popular beaches we have visited.  We also quickly discovered that Assateague was teeming with wildlife!  Sika and whitetail deer roamed the salt marshes and maritime forests, there were all kinds of birds everywhere, and the ocean was full of of fish, stingray, and crab.

The boys were in heaven.  I was just a little excited, too.

Jacob and Reed spent hours catching crabs from the shore and on the piers outside of the park. 

We don't call Reed "The Little Outdoorsman" for no reason.

I could watch the boys fish all day... as long as I have snacks.  And books.

Who are we kidding- I always have snacks and books!

I was taking an online poetry course at Miami while on this trip.  Let me tell ya, there are worse things in the world than reading A Thousand Mornings on the beach.

I ​ actually might read Mary Oliver on the beach from now on.

In fact, I think Mary Oliver would have explored and loved every inch of Assateague Island, pencil and paper in hand.  Everything was so natural, wild, and varied.  We saw new things every day.  

The horses were breathtakingly beautiful.

Technically, the horses are feral, not wild, meaning they are descendants of domesticated horses that have reverted to a wild state.  The park rangers and staff carefully monitor the herds to keep both visitors and the horses safe and happy.  If you would like to read more about Assateague's famous wild horses, click here.

We spent most of each day at the beach, of course. We set up a beach canopy and played in the sand, fished, swam, and, of course, took naps.

Love those fat cheeks.  They aren't as apparent anymore, now 6 months later.

Although the beach was where we spent most of our time, I also really enjoyed the various nature trails maintained by the park.  The "Life of the Dunes" trail was my favorite.  TLO and I walked the whole trail one night, and it was the most beautiful trail I have hiked in my life.

Part of the trail contained remnants of an old road.  Then it meandered into brush, sand dunes, and a beautiful forest.  It was amazing to see the variety of landscapes on one island.

Although we packed in plenty of food, we couldn't resist the seafood restaurants just a few miles outside of the park.  Each evening we enjoyed a delicious meal before heading back to camp.

Our time at Assateague Island was priceless.  It was wonderful to unplug and enjoy the natural surroundings in such an immersive way with my family.  We can't wait to go back!

Are you working on any summer vacation plans?  Let me know where you are going in the comments!  Also, check out a couple of our adventures from summers past!