A Walking Tour

Emma wants me to go on her next field trip (Thursday). It's a semi-walking trip that will take in the fire station and then across Commerce Avenue to the post office. She said that they were also going to visit the police station. That would be a hike for little kindergarteners so I suppose that's where the bus comes in. Without thinking, I said I'd go. She clapped her hands and gave me a big sweet Emma-hug. We're going to get ice-cream afterwards!

Later, when I was marking it down on the calendar, I remembered the trip to the pumpkin patch that started out as a sunny, warm day and ended up a real chiller. Then I remembered the trip to the Luray "Zoo". Another sunny, warm day that turned cold and windy, then turned sunny and warm as the bus pulled up to the school at the end of the trip.

My latest trip was with Kara's fourth graders to Mt. Vernon. Rain, rain, rain and then some drizzle followed by more rain. Did I mention the wind that whipped the rain up under the umbrella? Did I mention that most sneakers have little "breathing" holes in them that let water in to soak your feet?

It's raining today. Every once in a while the sun peeks out and it looks like it will be a nice day after all. Well, no. I just looked out the window - it's raining again.

I have a new motto: The days are long but the years are short. Those cold, rainy, windy field trips are the "long days". The years I have with my children and grandchildren are short. I want to be with them as much as I can. I write about these trips with "tongue-in-cheek", meaning I'm trying to be funny. If I didn't have an enjoyable time whenever I'm with my babies, I wouldn't go.

Hey! The sun is out again! Maybe Thursday will be...
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Wednesday: I found out today that there are more than enough parents who want to go on the walking tour, so I'm not going. Watch - I bet Thursday will be sunny and bright!

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Thursday: It's cool outside and the sky is filled with dark rain clouds, but the sun keeps peeping out for a few seconds at a time. Hopefully, it won't rain on the field trip.