Meramec State Park

If you are looking for a place to explore nature, hike, camp or just cool off on a hot day, check out Meramec State Park. It's located about an hour from St. Louis in Sullivan, MO and offers the opportunity to slow down and soak in the quiet and serenity of the outdoors. The park is well maintained and peaceful.  We began with a walk to the river where the kids found all kinds of things to occupy their time -- from watching puddling butterflies and catching toads to wading in the water and collecting shells. Later we headed over to the visitor center which provided all kinds of hands on exhibits for our entire family to enjoy.

hi ho hi ho...off to the river we go!

"Look, Mom - they're puddling!" said Noah

Noah's preferred way to "view wildlife"

Hummingbird Banding

On September 5th, we headed to Onondaga State Park to watch researcher, Lanny Chambers band hummingbirds. Chambers is one of only about 150 persons in the U.S. and Canada authorized by the Federal Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) to capture and band these tiny birds.

Data collected includes: the bird's age, sex, condition and plumage characteristics. In addition, measurements may be taken such as wing chord (length of the flattened wing from wrist to tip of the longest primary feather), tail length, mass, and bill length. After the bird is banded and released, the data is submitted to the BBL.

The weather was steamy and we were grateful to be able to watch the process almost the moment we arrived to the park.

You'd think the bars would make them wary...nope.

Measuring the bill

Deep Thoughts From Noah #67

Noah has lots of routines.  One of those involves eating the same thing every day.  For breakfast he likes 1 egg, 1 piece of bacon, 2 pieces of toast and a bowl of Cheerios.  (We think he may have hollow legs).  This morning he forgot the bacon which sent him into a bit of a tizzy.

"Oh no! Oh no! I forgot the bacon! This will affect my future!"

(I'm pretty sure it will make his future a bit brighter if he skips the bacon, but what do I know.)

Deep Thoughts From Noah #66

"Dad, do we have to go to church?...I'm just not feelin' it today."

Musings From Natalie #116

Natalie: "Mom, what's a Valley Girl?
Me: "An 80's reference of a teenage girl from the Valley in Southern California...they talked like this - Like totally...Gag me with a spoon."
Natalie: "So it was like an old fashioned way to talk?
Me: sigh..."Yeah, I guess so."

Deep Thoughts From Noah #65

 Noah: "I don't want to go to school today...the teachers are always pressuring me to do work."

Noah has started noticing that Natalie doesn't seem to struggle with her schoolwork like he does...
Noah: "It's not fair. Natalie is the smart one..."
Before I could interject...
Noah: "Hey, that means I must be the fun one -- I'm the fun one."
:-)

Take My Advice...and Leave It

Though I’m entering my 13^th year as a mother, I believe I began mothering the moment I discovered a life was growing inside me.  Almost immediately, I started reading Heidi Murkoff’s, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”.  Once the news of my pregnancy was out – the floodgates of advice began pouring in from family, friends and sometimes even strangers who wanted to weigh in on…what I should eat and how much weight I should gain, the pros and cons of breastfeeding, co-sleeping versus letting babies “cry it out”, the benefits of cloth diapers, which brand of baby thermometer to trust and baby names to steer clear from.  And, unlike those who mothered before me, I also had the Internet to provide opinions from millions of “experts” across the globe.  Information is good, but sometimes it’s just overwhelming and I think it may even play a role in the rise in anxiety seen across our nation.

I vividly recall bursting into tears two weeks postpartum when I realized I hadn’t yet started reading to my child. 

“Have I screwed him up already?”

Thankfully my husband was close by to be my voice of reason. But, I didn’t always listen to him and sometimes let my fears of messing up (at mothering) get the best of me.  This was especially true when mothering my son, who has developmental delays.  When he was two years old, I nearly drove him and myself crazy when I agreed to follow a strict “sensory diet” laid out by his occupational and speech therapists.  The plan involved swinging him twice a day for 15 minutes, therapeutic listening for 20 minutes – twice a day, brushing and joint compressions 12 times a day, food desensitization therapy with charting – 3 times a day and more! I believed the experts and was afraid of what the consequences would be if I missed out on even one thing.  But, as he grew…so did my confidence and I realized I was an expert…at being his mother.  

The best piece of advice I can give to new moms and those overwhelmed in general – listen to your gut.  Mother’s intuition is no joke.  You are your child’s best advocate.  Mom guilt is not helpful.  The only thing moms are truly guilty of is wanting the very best for their child.