The Beauty of Adventure

There are a huge amount of things I want my children to learn as they grow up, and in spite of the day and age they're growing up in, none of the things at the top of my list include technology.
I'm not at all dismissing technology as a bad thing (because sometimes that i-pad is a lifesaver), just as a lower priority!

I want my kids to know the fun and excitement of being outside in the fresh air with nature, before they learn to google answers and read articles about the adventures of others.

The Beauty of Adventure?
 It doesn't always have to come on a grand scale.  Adventure, can be found in the smallest moments, if you only take the time to find it.

 The excitement of new discoveries, and fun in small but significant moments.  Counting the little things as huge, because they are.

Seeing potential in every tree, a fort in every blanket, a feast in every bean sprout.  I want my children to learn about fishing for sprats to feed the cat, and carving something with their own hands.  I want them to play in mud and eat a few snails, try to catch butterflies and collect different sea shells.

Every now and then, I'm reminded of just how special little moments can be, by the light in my children's eyes as they describe something to me, or see something that I would otherwise have over-looked.

When we walk, they point out leaves, bridges, clouds, and they will often include a story about the item that's caught their attention.  A troll under the bridge, a giant in the clouds, leaves coloured in by fairies.  As we garden, bugs are discussed (occasionally eaten) and plants are picked (also occasionally eaten).

When I take the time to slow down and pay attention, their adventure becomes mine too, as they share their delight, and I get to feel the excitement and joy that comes from discovering new things, even if it is for the millionth time.
For this gift from my children, I am so very grateful.

Let's be Adventurers!

My Fisher-Boys

Ahhh, fishing!  I have such fond memories ... casting my line out, the smell of fish bait sitting in the sun, losing a multitude of sinkers in the rocky shores of the Coromandel ... The wee tugs on the end of my fishing line, the excitement of landing my first Snapper, finding crabs and seaweed instead of the hoped for fish, seeing the Gurnard I caught earlier in the day becoming dinner ... It stands to reason that I married a man who shares my enthusiasm for the joy that is fishing ... and that our children would be educated in the ways of the fisherman ...

I confess, we were by far more excited about this than the boys were .... until they saw their very own fishing rods, and then it was all on!! Although the weather wasn't the greatest we toddled off to the closest stretch of salt water ... Raglan!

And on a teeny concrete pier (call it what you will) my boys got to 'help' their dad ready the lines with hooks and sinkers, before plopping them into the water below!!
 

With an enthusiasm that would make all the grandparents proud, the boys proceeded to reel in their lines so that we could cast them out again .... and again ...

and again ... and with the occasional mention of jelly-fish (Curse you Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for an unrealistic view of fishing) they were cast out again!

Eventually the wind picked up a bit too much and lines began to tangle faster than we could fix them, so it was time to call it a day for the fisher men!

And so it was over to the playground and beach for a run around and the best burgers I have Ever tasted at the camping grounds! (Except for Fergburger ...they shall always have my stomachs heart)

There may also have been ice-blocks and selfies!!  And some funny faces too! (And did anyone notice that I finally finished one of the snoods I was knitting!!??)

And yeah ...we fed the birds some leftover chippies.  These birds were seriously talented, and would swoop and catch the chippies before they hit the ground!!  The boys thought it was Awesome ... although I possibly found it even more hilarious than they did!
(I promise the gull wasn't swooping for Olly!)

A mid-flight chippie catch!

(Excuse the blurred pics, I asked them to slow down a bit, but birds will be birds!)
And then I started to get paranoid about getting pooped on, so it was off to find some puddles ... and some dry clothes ...

And the playground too ...

Then it was time to take our sleepy lads home!

My boys!!  They did so well with their new fishing rods, and had so much fun splashing through puddles and chasing the seagulls!!  And for me and my bearded man, it was a brilliant escape from day to day life, where we could give the boys a peek into one of our favourite past times!

Here's to more Adventures!!

Why Hello 2012!!

Do i have any New Years Resolutions??  Probably, but i decided i wasn't going to play that game this year because i'm sick of the disappointment of failing two weeks into the year!!  Sure i'm going to have my usual goals, but this year i want a theme to achieve those goals by!!  Then i discovered what a couple of my fav' bloggy stalks Kasey and Cassie are doing!!  A WORD to define what you want for your year!!  Fantastic idea!!  

So since early this afternoon i'v been trying to think of what i want the focus of my year to be!  And this is the word i came up with....

ADVENTURE!!!

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I want my year to be full of adventures!!!  I want Wee Family Adventures, my Running Adventures, my Crafting Adventures!!  Even my Garden adventures!!  They're all adventures that i want to spend the year experiencing!!

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I want to go hiking to new places, find new places/events to run, create new things, fix old things!! And i want to share my adventures with Hubby and Bubby!!  I want to teach my Lachy that every little bug, every little leaf can be a part of an adventure....I also want to learn this better myself!!  I want the attitude that my life is an adventure, because it is!!! 

So here's to a Year of Living a Life of ADVENTURE!!

Toodles!!  :)

"Live for a Life without Regret"