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.

Our favorite sled-riding spot is at my mother-in-law's house.  She has a slope just steep enough for a 3 year old, and not too long.  It also doesn't end at the river, FYI.  But I love to walk down to the river at every chance I get.  I can sit and watch the water flow by all day long.  Sometimes, I do!

Believe it or not, Reed eventually wore out and decided to come back in.  We decided to scoop out some snow to make some snow cream- something our family loves to make at least once each year.  It is a refreshing and delicious way to use up some of that lovely, white, untouched snow.

​Here's how we make it!

Right before coming inside, have your kiddos scoop up 8 cups (or so) of fresh, clean snow.  Emphasis on clean.  Please.
​
Yes, Oliver.  I'm talking about you.

Make sure you have all of the ingredients ready to go before you bring the snow inside.  You'll need half & half, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar. ​

 Measure out 1 cup of half & half into a large bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract...

a half of a cup of sugar...

and mix that up pretty well.

Now add the snow!  You can just scoop it into the big bowl or pour the cream mixture over the snow.

Mix it all together.  Usually, that's all there is to it.

But...
We are going to take it to the next level! 
​That's typical at grandma's house.

Strawberries!  I think any fresh fruit would be fantastic.  Strawberries are just my favorite.  The colors are gorgeous together.  

Any chance I can get fresh fruit in my baby, I figure I am giving invading germs and sicknesses the 1-2 punch.

Am I obsessive about the whole sickness thing?

​Who cares!  Dump the fruit right into the snow cream and stir it in.

I can't believe this used to be snow!

It's finished!  Scoop the snow cream into serving dishes and eat it right away.  Reed feels the need to smoosh it with his hands.  I guess so he can pack more in?  He takes his snow cream very seriously.

Oh.  My.  Yum.

Reed decided to take it to the next level again.  He gets that from his grandma.

And the boy doesn't just do sprinkles.

He DOES SPRINKLES.  This is Snow Cream 2.0, after all.

And there you have it!  Snow Cream 2.0- the best snow cream this side of the Mississippi!  I like mine without the mountain of sprinkles.

We have another round of winter weather coming our way today, and I already have everything I need to make another batch.  If you are lucky enough to be in a part of the world covered in white, get out, play, and make some snow cream!  You won't regret it!

Snow Cream 2.0
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
​- 8 cups of snow
- 1 cup half & half
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh fruit, chopped
- Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions:
​1.  Scoop out 8 cups of snow, bring inside.  Begin preparing snow cream immediately.
2. Pour 1 cup of half & half into a large bowl.  Add vanilla and granulated sugar.  Mix well.
3.  Add the snow to the mixture and stir.
4.  Add the fresh fruit and stir.  Top with sprinkles.  Enjoy!

Want to read more about The Little Outdoorsman and our family adventures?  Check these out!

The Badlands

Reed's First Hunt

That's a Lotta Sand Out There, Mommy

Autumn is finally here, baby!  We kicked off October with my nephew's birthday party.  He is two now!  Happy birthday, Matt! Just look at that sweet face.

We immersed ourselves in fall activities this week. We made gooey chocolate no-bake cookies (recipe coming soon), we embarked on a long, cool bike ride on a path covered in fallen leaves, we even went to a homecoming parade.  But best of all, we visited the pumpkin farm!

Our local pumpkin farm is lovely.  We visited every year when I was a little girl, and I love carrying on the tradition with Reed.  This was the first year that he seemed to understand and fully enjoy the farm.  We spent most of the evening chasing after him as he ran from one area to another.

He loved the animals...

He really loved the games....

He really, really loved the pumpkins...

But he really, really, really loved the giant tractor.  (Nobody saw that coming, right?)

Woah.  Dude.

Jacob agreed to be the photographer for the trip to the pumpkin farm.  He's learning new tips and tricks from his hunting buddies.  Doesn't he do a great job?

It's like we have our own, personal photographer! Free fall sessions... yippee!

I'm so happy fall is finally here!  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make apple butter, drink apple cider, wrap up in a warm blanket, and watch the leaves fall next to my pumpkin spice candle.  Or something like that.  Enjoy the weekend, friends!

Seriously, guys?  You really don't want to be between me and my coffee.  It's a dangerous place to be.  And, on a completely unrelated side-note, I haven't had beef in days.

Oh, I'm just kidding!  Maybe.

Coffee in hand, we knocked out the 4.5 hour drive to Cheyenne and ordered a feast at Chili's.  We needed it!  No awesome blossom though, unfortunately.

The plan for the day was to find a tourist-y recommendation called Terry's Bison Ranch near Cheyenne and explore some of the activities there- a train, animals, rides, gift shop, restaurant, and pony riding- and then stay at the ranch's campground overnight.

From our research, we figured the ranch was going to be a tourist-trap: cheesy, over-the-top, but a whole lotta fun.  We were exactly right.

The first thing we did was sign up for the train ride.  The train departs from "the depot" every hour and a half, lasts about an hour long, and gives a tour of the ranch as well as an opportunity to feed Prairie Bison.  TLO was stoked!

It's a dream come true, folks.  As the storm clouds rolled in, we boarded the train and headed out to the pasture of buffalo.

"I want to feed them all by myself."  -TLO  
​Yeah, sure you do, buddy.  You just wait till you see these big guys.

Woah.

On our way out we actually briefly entered Colorado, the only time we were in Colorado on this trip.

The buffalo were HUGE!  Ranging anywhere from 2,000-4,000 pounds, the males were the first to approach the train.  The females hung back at first with their babies (I get ya, girls).  There was a newborn baby bison not even 30 minutes old, too.

The train stopped and it was time for TLO to feed the bison!  We didn't think he would do it, but he proved us wrong!

A cold sprinkle was starting when the train pulled back into station, but we took a few minutes to check out some of the other animals.  My favorite was a friendly horse who just loved Reed's head-rubs!

There was also this catwalk/bridge thing that went over all of the cattle pens.  We crept across it with caution- I found it terrifying, but as usual, the boys loved it.

They had pretty much everything you would expect in attendance: horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, cows, chickens, turkeys, alpacas, pigs- even a stray cat!

And camels.  But they were isolated because they don't know how to be nice.

Too soon the sprinkle became a cold rain, and we dashed for the car.  It was only 4:30, and Jacob wasn't looking forward to setting up camp in the rain only to sit in a tent until dark.  So in the adventurous spirit of the Wild West, we decided to drive a few more hours east and hope to find a campground to stay overnight.

I can't believe I just wrote that!  Did the perfectionist, super-planned, fearful momma-bear really just write that?

Well, it's exactly what we did, and boy, did Ogallala Beach at Lake McConaughy (I'm so glad I don't have to say either of those words out loud) deliver!

Determined to get TLO to bed at an early time, we googled the nearest campground while driving on I-80 in the middle of the Nebraska cornfields.  The GPS let us to Ogallala Campground.  Not sure what to expect, we were absolutely shocked to find a gorgeous beach with marked campsites.  The beach was sandwiched between two gigantic rocks, the sand was smooth and deep, and the sun was setting on a gigantic lake.  I was literally speechless, and I suddenly knew that Reed was not going to get to bed on time.

Jacob set up camp one last time while Reed and I explored the beach.  I had a little flashback to our trip to Myrtle Beach as I watched him completely shut out everything and immerse himself in the beach around him. 

At dark, we put Reed to bed and he was asleep in minutes.  Jacob and I stayed up and finally got to see a clear, starry sky.  Five nights out camping and no stars because of clouds, but night #6 was a good one!

Morning came too early, and we let TLO play in the sand for a couple more hours before hitting the road again.

Leaving the bison ranch without a camping plan was a risk- no doubt!  But sometimes taking a risk can lead you to something wonderful.  Or something horrible.  I am thankful that we didn't end up in some children-of-the-corn situation out in the cornfields of Nebraska.  We did check the ratings, but still.  I think we might have found a little favor with the Man upstairs that night.

Who knew there were beaches in Nebraska?  I didn't.

Look- another beautiful water pump!  I think I might be obsessed.

​Goodbye, Lake Ogallala!  Something tells me that we just might see you again someday!