Given all the rain in the forecast and the fleeting bloom of the flowering trees, I decided to seize the day and take the kids out.
There’s a field at the south end of a park here that’s always empty, and I’d noticed its spring snow crabapples are at peak blossom. Plus it’s loaded with dandelions, which Maria has been keen to pick.
I grabbed a few Golden Books, a vintage bird guidebook, a patchwork quilt, a wicker basket and the baby’s (locally made!) Birch Berry Bonnet, and we were off. I wanted it to feel light and spontaneous — most outings with four kids 6 and under do not feel that way — so I decided we’d go barefoot. What better way to take advantage of one of the warmest days of the year?
It felt good to frolic beneath the blossoms barefoot.
I vowed not to stage a single picture. No “Smile! Look at me!” commands to halt their play.
I just let them explore on their own, something I should do more often.
It was glorious.
Christina Ries is a freelance writer who lives with her husband and four children in Inver Grove Heights.
