Nature Walk

Yesterday we went for a very nice hike along one of our favorite parts of the state. Dear Sweet Hubby and I love hiking, and even with LBB in his carrier, we rarely shy away from most trails. :) We started hiking with LBB last summer when he was 5 months old, and back then, he was carried in the front carrier by me. Needless to say, as he got bigger, I was definitely happy when we invested in a Kelty Child Carrier...and when Dear Sweet Hubby started carrying him. Haha!

But now, LBB has gotten a taste of hiking on his own and not being carried by Mommy and Daddy, and he loves it! So, yesterday, we carried him for about 1 mile before he decided he didn't want to be carried anymore. He then got out and hiked the majority of the remaining 2.6 miles with us...pretty impressive!

What was even more amazing was not just the fact that he was hiking all on his own and for such a long distance, but the curiousity he shows! I love watching him investigate the flowers. Feel the rocks. Pet the wooly caterpillars. Watch a spider crawl by. Clap for the cricket when it jumps. Sing and dance in the middle of the pine trees that he and Daddy ventured off to explore. It is magical.

He is so focused when he hikes. He watches everything. Takes in as much as he can. Collects rocks that he finds interesting, along with sticks, leaves, and you name it.

I have a feeling that we might as well just start leaving the backpack carrier at home...he doesn't show much of an interest in it, and he is well capable of hiking these long distances (he just did a 1.5 mile hike last week as well.) Besides, he has so much fun watching everything on land, on the water, and in the air...and he can absorb so much more when he is on his own two feet. :) He's a natural born outdoorsman, and I know that makes Dear Sweet Hubby soooooo happy.

I love my little outdoors guy.