Friday, August 07, 2009
The Magical Forest
Have you ever walked into a forest and felt you had ventured upon the pages of your favorite book? This past weekend, I felt I had walked into C.S. Lewis' magical world of Narnia. My family and I drove up to Oak Glen for the afternoon and came upon a deserted forest. We picked some wild blackberries and our kids climbed a variety of trees. My husband and I lounged on a soft blanket while watching the children play. We took pictures and laughed under the tranquil trees that provided shade from the harsh afternoon sun.
And then, as if a black cloud had blown in from the east, a wild mountain lion raced out into the clearing. My husband jumped up and told my kids to run toward me. I made my mouth look as big as possible showing my razor-like teeth to the wild beast. Meanwhile, our kids screamed and ran toward the car. This was unwise, as the mountain lion instantly targeted them as objects of prey. My husband, who has been trained in karate, launched on top of the cat and took it down in one valiant leap. Daddy saved the day!
Just like my tall-tale, it can feel like you're living in the middle of a story sometimes. But, it's no fun when you feel like you're visiting the title page or the table of contents rather than the pages clothed with adventure and excitement. Just like the forest we came upon, life is full of daring details just waiting to be told.
Sometimes the monotony towards the end of summer gets us down. That's why we have to spice up the day with a little bit of creativity. As moms, we have to remember that real life can co-mingle with fiction. To combat the end-of-summer blues, you could set up a picnic blanket in an imaginary forest or a real one like we did, for telling stories about wild talking beasts. Perhaps you could turn the couch into a shipwreck full of fish-loving pirates. What about a bunk-bed island with imaginary palm trees, dolphins, and whales? You could even keep things cool by turning your pool into an enchanted pond full of mermaids and monsters.
If your house is getting boring, then take your kids on a hike up to Mount Rubidoux or venture out on a bike ride around Lake Perris. You could always try out Oak Glen as well. The apple pie is delicious and the imaginary mountain lions are pretty friendly too. If you're going a bit stir-crazy, as I have been, then mix it up a little and keep things fun! We'll blink and the school-year will be upon us. Just a few more weeks to go!
And then, as if a black cloud had blown in from the east, a wild mountain lion raced out into the clearing. My husband jumped up and told my kids to run toward me. I made my mouth look as big as possible showing my razor-like teeth to the wild beast. Meanwhile, our kids screamed and ran toward the car. This was unwise, as the mountain lion instantly targeted them as objects of prey. My husband, who has been trained in karate, launched on top of the cat and took it down in one valiant leap. Daddy saved the day!
Just like my tall-tale, it can feel like you're living in the middle of a story sometimes. But, it's no fun when you feel like you're visiting the title page or the table of contents rather than the pages clothed with adventure and excitement. Just like the forest we came upon, life is full of daring details just waiting to be told.
Sometimes the monotony towards the end of summer gets us down. That's why we have to spice up the day with a little bit of creativity. As moms, we have to remember that real life can co-mingle with fiction. To combat the end-of-summer blues, you could set up a picnic blanket in an imaginary forest or a real one like we did, for telling stories about wild talking beasts. Perhaps you could turn the couch into a shipwreck full of fish-loving pirates. What about a bunk-bed island with imaginary palm trees, dolphins, and whales? You could even keep things cool by turning your pool into an enchanted pond full of mermaids and monsters.
If your house is getting boring, then take your kids on a hike up to Mount Rubidoux or venture out on a bike ride around Lake Perris. You could always try out Oak Glen as well. The apple pie is delicious and the imaginary mountain lions are pretty friendly too. If you're going a bit stir-crazy, as I have been, then mix it up a little and keep things fun! We'll blink and the school-year will be upon us. Just a few more weeks to go!
Labels: kids, moms, monotony, summer
