This week, my mom and I took the boys to visit Fort Ancient Earthworks and Nature Preserve.  This National Historic Landmark is what Reed would call "a medium drive" from our house and is something we were able to do in a morning.  However, with older kiddos, a family could easily spend an entire day exploring the museum, grounds, and hiking trails!

We toured the museum first.  For a small fee we spent 45 minutes exploring the fantastic collection of artifacts, dioramas, timelines, and fossils.  The dioramas were amazing!  Reed loved the arrowheads, weapons, fish hooks, and the fact that Native American children did not have to wear pants.  Sigh.

The collection worked chronologically from the Ice Age; to the American Indians who settled in Ohio; to the arrival of the Europeans, disease, and war; and then to the discovery and exploration of the Fort Ancient site itself.

The museum was kid-friendly... with the exception of a giant mural of a European getting scalped.  Luckily I spotted it ahead of time and distracted accordingly.

"Oh, my goodness!  Is that a real tomahawk over there?!"

Sheesh.

The grounds of Fort Ancient were mysterious and breathtaking.  The woods were quiet and dark, and the earthworks were visible from almost anywhere we walked or hiked.  We took one short hike to see a couple of the special stone capped mounds, and I had no trouble doing the walk with Barrett on my hip and Reed chattering ahead with my mom.

After our walk, we drove to an overlook/picnic area and spread out a blanket for lunch. At nine months, lunch is currently a full-contact sport with Bear.  Lunch on a blanket should be its own Olympic event.

One. Big. MESS.

We had such fun laughing and talking while eating in the shade and looking around at the woods and earthworks.  Reed and Barrett provide plenty of live entertainment!

I am so excited to take these two out-and-about this summer and learn and grow together.  I sure have missed having adventures, and now that Ohio is opening up after COVID, we are ready to explore!

​While we are on the subject of adventures...
book recommendation time!!  

In Adventuring Together, Greta shares her experiences as a not-so-outdoorsy mom adventuring with her family, and emphasizes that getting out and exploring together is one of the best ways to make memories and relationships that last.  I am planning on embarking on at least one escapade per week this summer, so I will keep you posted on all of the adventures (and misadventures) as they come!

Any recommendations for adventuring with little ones?  I would love to read them in the comments!

For today's post, I'm rewinding to exactly one year ago to write about our trip to Indiana Dunes National Park!

As you know if you have been following the blog for a while, our family loves to visit the National Parks.  However, due to being 8 months pregnant and in the middle of the pandemic last summer, our options were limited.  We decided to stay close to home (the dunes are just a four hours away), and our hotel was across the street from a hospital.  

​No joke!

Reed: always the cheerful and patient traveler.  I can remember carting him off to Myrtle Beach by myself when he was two.  AND- he potty trained himself on the way home.  I guess it is more exciting to go to the bathroom on a car trip when you get to visit somewhere new and get snacks every time!

The dunes border about 15 miles of Lake Michigan.  They are beautiful and clean, and there are miles of hiking trails and other things you can do other than sit on a beach. 

But I like to just sit on the beach.  Especially when very pregnant.

The National Park maintains several beaches, parking lots, and bathrooms along the stretch of dunes.  We visited two of the beaches: Kemil and Dunbar.  The park rangers recommended these as especially kid-friendly beaches that would not be over-crowded.  

They were right! 

 We ate takeout at the hotel during our stay because all of the restaurants were closed.  And that is how I discovered Panda Express.  Honestly, I had never had it before.  Right now we are in the middle of moving to a bigger house, and we discovered our new house is about 5 minutes from a Panda Express.

This may or may not have been a deciding factor on that particular location.

I digress.  It ended up being for the best that we ate in each night because I was TIRED from being 8 months pregnant out in the heat.  My feet were so swollen, and although Lake Michigan is clear and lovely, the water is still pretty chilly in June!  Terrified of going into early labor, I avoided swimming too much.  So after takeout dinner each night, we went on a few long drives exploring the area.  And that is how we discovered the Michigan City pier and lighthouse.

Visiting the lighthouse was such a fun adventure.  We parked in the big pier parking lot and walked down the beach toward the pier.  We passed a very exciting beach wedding, boats jetting across the lake, and plenty of dogs playing fetch.  

Then we walked down the looooong pier with beautiful crashing waves and the sun setting behind the lighthouse.  It was windy and a little terrifying and so much fun.

Our trip to Indiana Dunes was such a special and memorable way to mark the end of the chapter of life as a family of three.  We cannot wait to go back and do the trip more in the Hacker-family style with plenty of camping, hiking, and eating out!

​Although I'm sure we will still do a night of Panda Express ;)

Were you able to get away on a trip during the COVID pandemic?  If so, let me know where!  On another, completely unrelated note to anything I am currently experiencing...

Vacation ideas for traveling with a one-year-old??

​Have a great week!

This past weekend was a big one for our family.  Over just a couple of days we celebrated both Reed's Kindergarten graduation and Barrett's baby dedication!

Due to COVID restrictions, Reed's graduation was very small and was held outdoors. The kiddos sang a couple of songs and had snacks.  I didn't cry (at the graduation)- I was just so proud and happy for Reed.  He has had the best year, and I can't wait to spend the summer together.

Even if Reed was reluctant to celebrate, I couldn't help but take a walk down the memory lane of this past year.  What a strange year to be a kindergartner!  Reed was blessed to have fantastic teachers who worked so hard to make his year as normal as possible.  Here is a highlight reel of some of my favorite moments:

They put on a play in which he played the role of a king-

Hosted a trunk-or-treat night-

Had costume days and holiday parties...

Celebrated the first of many snow days and the arrival of the tooth fairy...

... and overall just made school a fun and special place to be each day.  We never felt like we were forcing Reed to go to school; he couldn't wait to go every day!  Most of all, he learned a ton, made great friends, and grew in his relationship with Jesus.

We are so thankful for Reed's Kindergarten year.

I finally got the opportunity to do something I have been dying to do FOREVER!

Not skiing (I don't really want to go skiing)...

Not spelunking (doing that this summer, hopefully)...

Not even skydiving (definitely on my bucket list)...

I went SAP COLLECTING IN THE SUGARBUSH!!

In the words of the great Burton Guster:
​"You know that's right."

It. Was. Awesome.

When I say that I have been wanting to do this forever, I mean it!  I read about maple syrup making in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy when I was a little girl, and ever since then I have wanted to experience this process for myself.

We started our adventure at the brisk 9 AM hour (a true act of love in itself by my dear hubby). We met up with our FANTASTIC guide, Mr. Art at the outdoor learning center.  I may have cut in front of several small children to get a front-row seat for Mr. Art's presentation.

​How rude!

I realized my lack of manners/weirdness by the time we arrived at the sugarbush and allowed the children to see again.  The knowledgeable Mr. Art and his assistant talked about the different types of sap collecting methods and how to empty and replace the buckets correctly.

We walked through the woods looking for buckets labeled with blue or red tape.  Other colors were reserved for other groups later in the day.

​I think we found one!

YES!!

I mean... I would love to help you, sweetie.

Look at all of that sap!  So cool!  I thought sap was brown.  And I didn't realize a tree could make so much.  But Mr. Art said that sometimes the volunteers get emergency calls because the sap is overflowing.

Mr. Art knows everything!  And I might volunteer with CNC one day, just to get that "overflowing sap" phone call.

Oh, and the beautiful nature is a bonus, too.

We tromped around the sugarbush for quite a while and then took our buckets back to the outdoor learning center.

I think I embarrassed TLO.  Or wore him out.  Or something.  Not sure about that face...

The volunteers at the learning center explained the syrup-making process.

They already had the evaporator running and had a batch of syrup ready to go.

These are my people.

We tried some maple syrup- DELICIOUS- and took a little hike back to the car.  We will definitely do this again next year.  

Only the best outdoor education for The Little Outdoorsman, of course.

​It has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Yet another wonderful experience at the Cincinnati Nature Center!  In case you haven't noticed, we go there a lot.  I have linked below a few other CNC posts (click on the pics).

I am so excited that spring is nearly here, aren't you?  I hope you get to enjoy the season to the full.  Enjoy the last official weekend of winter!

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!

This week's Mama & Reed date was to Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, OH.  We were both looking forward to a day of outdoor adventures and learning.  Plus, this trip gave me an opportunity to play around with our new camera!

I have been without a camera for a few months now.  I love my phone, but... 

I love our camera, too!  Plus, I have the cutest little model to work with!

So, let's get back on topic: Caesar Creek State Park.  We started out at the Visitor Center to pick up our fossil hunting permit.

​Fossil hunting is serious business.

We spent about an hour searching the land for fossils.  The Little Outdoorsman was very excited, of course!  We hunted while sandwiched between a group from the local retirement community and the army. 

Let me explain.

The people from the retirement community greeted us with compliments or grumpy snorts as we poked along in the field.  The army was practicing surveillance (something about weather and bugs... the leader person lost me a bit in her explanation), so it was an interesting mix of people.  I felt very safe and a little confused.

The compliments and excitement gave Reed the motivation to become quite an efficient fossil-finder!

Fossil-hunters are only permitted to take palm-sized fossils, and we left with quite a haul!  We were able to find all different types of fossils and compare them to the booklet the ranger gave us along with our permit.

Fossil hunting was hard work!  We needed food!  I always need food after a long morning of fossil hunting... or teaching... or shopping... or napping.

We found a perfect picnic table by the creek for lunch.

Now if only I would stop taking pictures and sit down and eat!  After lunch, we went for one last walk as a storm rolled in and nap time approached.

And this mama knows not to mess with nap time.  It is non-negotiable.

We strolled over a few beautiful bridges, up to the dam, and back to the car before the rain came in.  It was the perfect time to end our date and head home with a trunk full of rocks... I mean, fossils.

Want to see more adventures with The Little Outdoorsman?  Check out some of my favorites:

Thank God for summer!  I mean, seriously. 
Thank. God. 
​
We are two weeks into summer break here with The Little Outdoorsman, and we are finally getting our feet under us again.  The end of the school year was bananas with the typical May craziness, a pretty bad case of bronchitis (bronchitis + asthma = bad.  Who knew?), a new niece and nephew added to the family (post coming soon!), and Jacob traveling all over the continent.  To be honest, I was in complete survival mode.

I don't know that I can even remember parts of May.  I have blocked them out.  My mind will recover them when it's ready, I guess.

Kidding-- of course!  It's all good!

Reed and I have spent the past few weeks reconnecting with friends, family, and each other, cleaning the house, taking care of things that went by the wayside in May, and exploring some of our favorite spots in Cincinnati.  

The Little Outdoorsman has lived up to his name over the past weeks.  He has been in heaven as we pack up the car each day to explore a new place.

Our first adventure was to the Cincinnati Zoo, where we fed giraffes, talked to monkeys, gawked at tortoises, and laughed at elephants eating hay. (They ignored us, unlike these amazing giraffes.)

The Cincinnati Nature Center was trip #2.  We chose the second-shortest trail and it took us over an hour.  I am not ashamed to say it was only .66 miles long, because those .66 miles were filled with so many memories, conversations, and teachable moments that it seemed to go by very quickly.  Our nature center here in Cincy is top-notch.  We will visit every week, try to hike all 15 trails, and hopefully get a little bit faster. 

But if we don't, that's okay, too.

We spent a weekend day at Charm at the Farm with my Mom (AKA "Nana").  Charm at the Farm is an outdoor market in Lebanon, Ohio that is  jammed-packed with creative vintage and antique vendors and Amish soft pretzels that make me lose my mind a little bit.

Finally, we registered our passes and went out to King's Island, a nearby theme park.  Kiddie Land might actually be even more fun for me as an adult.  Watching my son laugh hysterically while I eat popcorn in peace?  Yes, please!

When we aren't having "adventures", Reed and I have been visiting my family's pool, sitting at the river, digging in the sandbox, cooking, and visiting various parks in our area. ​

No work, no email, no grad school.  Just family.

After too many snowy days spent on Pinterest, a serious case of cabin fever, and a peek into the pantry, I decided to try out a toddler-friendly volcano experiment. 

It's a sign that February is nigh when I start building natural disasters within the (sometimes) natural disaster which I call my home.  Ahem.  These walls close in a little more with each icy-cold day, I think.

As I mentioned in my post a few weeks ago with our lava lamp experiment, The Little Outdoorsman is obsessed with volcanoes right now.  His two-year-old cousin, Matt, is also volcano-crazy.  Time for a volcano party!

On the bright side, this toddler-free volcano, or "BALL-cano," according to Matt, sets up and cleans up quickly and easily.  Also, the ingredients are probably in your pantry already.  On the other hand, it doesn't actually look a ton like a volcano.  We didn't do paper mache or decorate it.  Luckily, that didn't matter to the boys.

I constructed the whole volcano in about 5 minutes on a TV tray.  It is seriously SO easy to do. I have all of the ingredients pictured above: vinegar, baking soda, aluminum foil, food coloring, a plastic cup, and a paper or plastic plate.

Side note: you can definitely use real cups or plates if you need/want to.  The paper stuff just makes clean-up much easier.

To begin, tape the cup to the center of the paper plate.  It won't do to have the volcano toppling over!

Next, cover the cup with a couple of sheets of foil.  Securely tuck the foil underneath the rim of the plate.

The magnetic attraction begins. 
​"Whatcha doin', Becka?"

Next, cut an "x" in the foil with a knife or scissors...

and push the pieces of foil down into the cup.

Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to the bottom of the cup.

I have the attention of both boys now, and they want to help!

I love it when that happens.

Add some food coloring to the baking soda.  We decided to go with red this time just to make it more realistic.  Other colors would be great, too.

We are ready for the "explosion"!  They were a little nervous and VERY excited.  I placed the volcano inside of a big Tupperware container. 
​No mess... no worries.

Please don't forget this step!

Time to bring in the big guns- vinegar!  Buy the biggest jug.  It's worth it, I promise.  Plus, they're going to want you to make another volcano ASAP.

With a flair, pour the vinegar in the volcano, and watch the magic happen! 

Dude.

Even Oliver wass engrossed in the spectacle!

I live for these moments!

Looks like a volcano to me!

This "experiment" was a huge success!  The boys were involved in the setup and were riveted during the "explosion".  Best of all, the cleanup took literally 30 seconds.