This summer I've found it especially important to get the kids out of the house and get some active play, even if it's just to the nearby park. I find that my boys have so much energy they need to let off steam.
We did a family hike the other night, and the boys were picking up sticks and pretending they were swords. They would go up to bushes and flowers and say menacingly, "Hey, you want to go?" WHACK! Those poor plants didn't have a chance.
They didn't get this from home. It's just an innate thing - boys like to swing and throw, hit and parry. My daughter picked up sticks and cradled them and blew kisses to them.
It's great to take the kids to the beach too. It's fascinating to see how at home they'll be lying around, moaning about how bored they are and how they just can't stand it any longer. Get them near sand, and their boredom is over. It's amazing how long kids can play in the sand, isn't it? It's like a huge play yard.
We had a great time at Valens Conservation Area. It's a beautiful site. No trip is ever perfect, though. We were about to go for a nice long walk on the boardwalk. I swear we had just stepped onto the first board when two of the kids started screaming instantaneously. One had fallen and the other had been stung twice by a wasp. So that went well.
There's always someone crying or whining when you get lots of kids together, I find. As long as it's not the parents you're generally okay.
The beach part and the bridge part, though? All good.
