Fun Visitors

We are enjoying a visit with my brother, sister-in-law, and their cutie pie daughter Maria. Desert Boy and Maria started off the visit by playing in water. Clean water (for a change). I thought Maria took Desert Boy's welcoming gesture with quite a bit of grace. Desert Boy is learning a little about fairness. After he poured water on her head, he asked her to do the same to him. And she did.

The next day we went on an adventure walk. Maria is also familiar with Dora the Explorer, and it is amazing what you can get kids to do if they think they are exploring like Dora. We even got out the map (a stick drawing in the dirt) to learn that after we went through the willow tunnels, we had to jump over the cow pies, walk in the ditch, and cross the gate to get to the van. There was excitement in the air! We had a destination and obstacles to cross to get to it.

Maria and Desert Boy were a very good height for negotiating the willow tunnels. They could go many places the adults couldn't--or wouldn't go.

The willow tunnels also held surprises, like a cow skull. They had fun examining it. Then we had to look for other bones.

And we found the best surprise of all--a huge dinosaur bone. It came home with us and is waiting to be excavated in the sand box.

Like Desert Boy's irrigating boots? They are his favorite footwear for adventure hikes so that he can get wet. We didn't get wet on this particular adventure walk, but in an upcoming one you will see him drenched. Despite the irrigating boots.