Then and Now

Although it may not look like it from this picture, the scarf was much further away from the baby's nose and mouth than it looked. He COULD breathe. We love you, Baby M! :)

When I was young, we spent alot of time swinging over a giant ravine (complete with poky branches and sharp rocks on the bottom) on a long, long piece of rope. A rope swing. Remember those? My sister Kathi and my cousin left my other sister in the middle, alone and basically trapped, "for hours" (according to her) one day. They were sick of playing with her, I guess. She helplessly hung there until they came to retrieve her.

We had snowmobiles in the winter, and we would be gone (far away in the woods) for most of the day. I remember playing tag with my cousins. We'd chase each other at full speed and try to pull each other off of our machines. Whoever was laying on the ground (with the riderless snowmobile in front of them somewhere) was not the winner.

We also had a sledding hill. It was huge. And really dangerous. There were trees on both sides, and it dropped off similarly to that of a scary roller coaster. I think someone broke their leg (or an arm?) on that hill.

We loved it.

Today's sledding experience reminded me of my own childhood and how much I want our kids to experience those kinds of things. Outdoor things. Good, old-fashioned fun. Fun that doesn't require batteries. Experiences that get the adrenaline going.

All of that without getting hurt, of course.