Endless Cabin Fever: Where's the Warm Weather?

Biking with the kids

It has been a long, cold, and snowy winter this year…and it doesn’t seem to want to let up. Every time the weather manages to show a tantalizing hint of spring, the threat of snow is back in the forecast within days. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for winter to be over! And each time the weather turns back to a wintery mix, my heart sinks. It feels like we’re caught in an endless winter and my family and I are suffering from a terrible case of cabin fever!

We have already started a spring/summer to-do list of everything we want to do when the weather is warm again:

• Hiking
• Mountain biking (and biking of any kind!)
• Picnics
• Swimming
• Water battles
• Learn to fly a kite
• Cookouts (lots of cookouts with friends and family!)
• Plant flowers
• Start a vegetable garden
• Camp out in the backyard
• Fishing
• And most importantly, absorb as much fresh air and sun as possible!

It is funny how getting stuck indoors (except for short outings) puts things into perspective and has made me realize how lucky we are when the weather is warm and sunny. No more lazing around the house when the weather is beautiful for this family! I hope to find any and every excuse possible to go outside this spring and summer with my kids. Even if I don’t have the energy to do much more than lounge in the sun and watch my children play, I’m getting out there and enjoying the outdoors.

Are you already daydreaming about spring and summer plans? What do you hope to do with your family this year?

Hiking Your Pants Off

My kids hiking their pants off!

As part of my resolution for a healthier 2012, I have decided to add more active time each week not only for me but for the whole family.  My children’s enthusiasm is a wonderful motivator to get me off the couch.  But most importantly, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to teach my son (6) and daughter (5) that staying active is an important and fun part of daily life.

Yesterday, we decided to hike at one of my fiancé’s favorite local nature spots, the 1889 Park in South Fork, PA.  Although I had visited this park in the past, I had never hiked the nature trails, so I was excited!  I was also excited for my children because they had never gone hiking before, and I knew they were going to have a blast!

I love the outdoors!  The more I surround myself with nature, the more relaxed and content I become.  As a teenager, I did plenty of hiking, fishing, camping, and mountain biking.  Living in the country was the greatest feeling, and I found any excuse to be out in the woods.  I even studied and read every opportunity I could, resting against the roots of my favorite tree.

Although I moved to the city 9 years ago, I want to still pass on this passion to my children.  So this Sunday outing promised to be the beginning of something wonderful.  I was a little concerned, though, that my children might have trouble keeping up.  They are still pretty young and my daughter is petite yet for her age.  But I hoped with a little handholding and a slower pace, they would enjoy themselves immensely.

However, soon after we reached the 1889 Park and set out hiking on the trails, I realized how wrong I had been in assuming they might have trouble keeping up.  Instead of my fiancé and I needing to slow down, we were huffing and puffing, trying desperately to keep up with the little ones!  In fact, on several occasions, I had to tell my son and daughter to stop and come back because they were getting too far ahead!

They were speeding down the trails so fast that they were literally hiking their pants off!  My fiancé and I were near hiccups laughing as we watched them trying to simultaneously run and hold their pants up.  Pure joy was radiating from their faces, and I knew that they couldn’t be any happier.

The fresh air, beautiful weather, laughter, and fun exercise made for a perfect afternoon!  In fact, I don’t recall us having that much fun in quite awhile.  It felt so wonderful to share an experience that each one of us was thoroughly enjoying.  I know we’ll be doing much more hiking as a family in the future.