watsons mill

Last week I rearranged my working schedule so I could have a whole day off each week with the kids. Tuesday is the day I chose. I have to teach at the Y in the mornings, but then the kids and I are footloose and fancy free the rest of the day. It is my intention to TRY to do something fun with them on Tuesdays rather than just stay home, but I feel sure there will be weeks where I just really WANT to stay home and have things that need to be done, but I am going to try hard to use that day for nothing but fun!

Yesterday, we went to Watsons Mill. It's the first time I have been since not long after high school and it is the very first time the kids have ever been. To say they had a blast would be an understatement, though that place is not all that safe and the kids got out of my sight for just a few minutes to slide down a big rock and sure enough one of them fell. Poor Kalib, he fell really hard on the slippery rocks and busted his nose, his mouth, and hit his head. I'm thankful he wasn't hurt badly. It wasn't that I wasn't watching them, I didn't really know where they were heading. I stayed with them the rest of the day making sure they were being safe and taking it slow on the rocks. They had a really grand time. They came home sunburned and exhausted and ready to get out and go again today.

It was an exciting day at the Watson's Mill. Stella, our friend Jennifer's youngest daughter whom I believe is 5, got out on the rocks by herself today with a lot of encouragement from all the adults and kids that came along with us. It took so coercion, but once she realized it was fun, she was all over it. At first I had to slide with her down the rocks, but by the end of the day, she was going on her own, putting her face in the water AND walking barefoot in the river. It was a big step for Stella today to overcome her fear and just DO IT! I wish I had the pictures to prove it, but as I was in the water with her making sure each time she went down there was someone to make sure she got out of the current and it didn't take her under anymore than she was comfortable with, I didn't take any (Sarah C took some, maybe she'll send them to me and I'll post them too). She was so awesome. I think it made everyone's day to see her so independent and so ready to have fun on her own! It was the highlight of my day for sure and it made me even more thankful to have the day off. I not only got to spend the day at the river with my kids having fun, but I had the opportunity to help a friend learn that she has more confidence than she thinks and watch a mom be truly proud of her daughter! What a blessing and a gift to me.

There aren't a lot of pictures from my camera because I was afraid to go into the water with my camera for fear of dropping it, but at least I got some...