Creekin' is a verb where we live, and I love it! There was a lot to do: wet leaves to pile up, sediment to stir up, rocks to jump over. There was also a chance for me to catch my breath, to just breath deeply and enjoy the kids. And when I did use the word "no," it was for the best of reasons: "No, you may not use that log as a balance beam over that ravine." 

Only the important stuff, and that felt like a nice change, too. 

While hiking back to our car, we came across some white clover. We've been reading foraging books and planting edibles in our woods- an elderberry bush, peppermint, and chives, so far. When I saw the clover, I stopped and pointed it out to them. "Did you know we can make tea out of this?" I asked them. They excitedly asked if we could gather some, so we grabbed a bag out of the car and did just that.

Kids are natural gatherers and excellent foragers, with a little help. We talked about which blossoms to look for- ones that are full & open- and that it was better (and safer!) to gather in the woods than along busy roads. We didn't talk about foraging only where chemicals haven't been sprayed, but that will definitely come up in the future.