Nature Reserve

We took our boys on a short hike that led to a natural playscape at a nature reserve near my parents' house. The playscape was actually right next to the parking lot but we really wanted to the boys to do the hike first so we told them we had to follow this trail to get to the play area. Unfortunately, our boys are smart and Elijah picked up a map.
Elijah: "Hey Mom! I found a shortcut! We could just turn around and.."
Me: "Shhhh!"
Elijah: "What? It would be a lot faster, see? We just go the opposite direction right past the parking lot.."
Me: "Shhhhh!! We are trying to get your brothers to do this walk first. Dont. Tell. Anyone."
Elijah: "Fine."
Of course when we got to the playscape one of the first things David John did was explore the perimiter. When he discovered that the parking lot was close by he rolled his eyes and said, "We did all that walking for nothing!"

The playscape was really cool and for once we were in a place where the boys could climb to their hearts' content. They had a little log cabin with natural wooden blocks that you could use to build towers or make furniture inside. There was a rope swing, some wooden drums made out of hollowed trees, a big corrugated tube and so many fun trees. The boys had a blast.

"Of course I can climb that pole Mom!" Why did I ever doubt? You can also see the little log cabin in the background.

Elijah and David John loved being rolled around in this giant tube.

Gabe and Benjamin climbed this stick teepee and then Benjamin climbed up the center pole. He got pretty high up there. This poor kid in the blue is trying to figure out how they did it. Sorry kid, I think it has something to do with the synergistic powers of being one of five boys.

Highest climb in a ridiculously skinny tree award goes to Gabe. We estimated he was about 30 feet off the ground using the tree's shadow and the Pythagorean theorem. And you thought that geometry class would never come in handy.

Now Tobias is learning the ways of wooden teepee climbing.

This was a cool little rocking chair carved out of a big log. David John was sitting there first and didn't think I would fit next to him. Admittedly it was a little squishy but Momma ain't THAT big! At least not yet. Give it the rest of the summer since I can't go to my workout classes until school starts because five boys at home.

You can make it buddy! Just hang on! And move your feet. You actually have to step sideways if you want to get across. Or not. You could just stay there. That's cool too.

I love the studious look on Tobias's face. The poor guy still loses most of the time but he tries really hard.

This picture makes me giggle. Especially when I think about the idea that we are in a nature "reserve". My boys are many things, but reserved is not one of them. And, thankfully, they did not go au naturale either. Despite not fitting the name of the place very well they certainly fit the environment. They're a little wild, a little unkempt even and so authentic. They are just themselves and it was nice to be in a place where that was okay, where climbing and exploration are encouraged, where there is enough space to burn all that excess energy. Thank you, nature, for reserving a space where my boys are accepted as they are.