The Kids house backs up to a beautiful and serene green belt, which is arguably one of the best things about the backyard. The small trees and frequent bunny visitors create an idyllic view when gazing out across the yard from the back porch. Its one of my secret daydreams to imagine the day when my "job" is to sit on that back porch chair, looking across the beautiful yard and beyond, a glass of sweet tea at my side as the kids all laugh and play peacefully together.
And since my vision does not include anyone eating small rocks or bugs, bopping each other with sticks or toys, or attempting to run each other over with Power Wheels vehicles, I'd say I'm not quite there yet.
But its a nice vision anyway.
Buddy is also quite fond of the backyard greenbelt, but for an entirely different reason. He loves it for the possibility of endless "eventures".
I have long held the belief that Buddy is a country boy mistakenly living in the city. He enjoys all things guns, sticks, knives, and Bear Grylls. So it is a favorite pasttime of his to hop the small back fence with his dad and tromp around "in the woods" as he calls the small area, exploring, finding big sticks, and stomping in any interesting mud puddles he comes across.
So today, since it was a gorgeous, warm, and sunny afternoon, its too early in the year for snakes, and the children were energized and ready for something a little different, I elected to throw caution to the wind and take all three ankle-biters on a short jaunt over the fence. I figured since Buddy does it a lot with his Dad, there wasn't an issue.
Are you laughing at me yet? Because you probably should be.
I had been promising Buddy just such an outting for almost a year now, but we never could leave the safety of a sidewalk with the giant stroller. And each time before the babies weren't strong enough walkers to do much traipsing. So naturally, when I began lifting the kids over the fence, their excitement was palpable, and their thrilled grins could not have been bigger.
Everyone was having a blast crunching through the leaves, tripping over the odd hidden bunny hole, and inspecting every inch of the area right by the fence. Buddy at first tried to lead the crew straight into the thickest part of the "woods", but I quickly convinced him it'd be better to stay by the fence for the babies' first "eventure".
Buddy, electing himself leader, set off immediately at a relaxed pace, pointing a few things out to his siblings. Brother, a little adorably timid in this new leaf-strewn world, reached up and took my hand before following. And as for Sissy, it was all I could do to keep her hand in mine. She clearly had her own agenda and route.
We barely had gotten a few yards away when I stepped down and suddenly had that dreaded, pushing feeling of something piercing right through your shoe (which is no small feat, given that my boots are almost an inch thick at the soles) and scratched the bottom of my foot. I briefly let go of Sissy's hand, brushed away the leaves from where I had just been scratched, and sure enough: there was an old small piece of wood under the leaves with a orangish, rusted nail sticking up about an inch high.
"EVENTURE OVER, BUDDY! We're going back right now!"
"Awww why?" He whined from ahead of me, "We just started."
"There are dangerous things back here, I didn't know or I wouldn't have let us do this." I said as I scooped up the twins, Sissy struggling mightily against me.
As I hurriedly lifted each of the loudly-protesting kids back over the fence into the safety of the yard, it hit me how much God had REALLY been looking out for us on that brief trip over the fence. It creeps me out to think back now at what else could have been hidden under the leaves for our unsuspecting selves to step on. OF COURSE, I would rather myself step on a thousand rusty nails before Buddy, Brother, or Sister would step on one, so I was blessed that I was the one that stepped on that nail rather than them (with the twins on either side of me... SCARY!)while I just-so-happened to be wearing the only shoes I own that have soles thick enough to take the brunt of the nail's length for me. Really now, what are the chances?
And while yes, everyone WAS having a ball "in the woods", I doubt I'll ever be brave enough to take the kids back there again. I'll let Buddy get his "eventures" in with his Dad.
And Bear Grylls.
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