Mama and Isaac enjoying each other's help...Isaac was very independent most of the time while hiking. He didn't want help climbing up the little hills on the trail and would squeal and wiggle when I'd pick him up to help us "keep up" with the rest of the gang.
We hiked the "Birdsong Trail" which we had heard was awesome for feeding the chickadees. Within minutes of stopping and filling our hands with bird seed, the chickadees were flying from branch to branch cautiously waiting to settle on our hands to snatch a seed. Several birds landed on both Mike's and my hands. Unfortunately, because of their bright yellow coats and wiggly arms, the chickadees avoided the boys. However, we were very impressed with how patiently they kept waiting.
Mike kept calling me the "bird lady" because the chickadees preferred me...
At one point, we came across an information sign with pictures of various animal tracks you might spot on the trail. The boys were very curious and excited to begin "tracking."
Ahhh, the world is our classroom...within a few hundred feet, in a field, we spotted turkey tracks. One of the things I love about homeschooling is being able to turn our whole world into a learning experience...anytime, any day, anywhere...then afterward we can check out pertinent books at the library and read until our heart's content. I especially love when Mike is able to help teach the boys...he'll definitely be taking over math and science in the future!!! 
Isaac looking high into a tree at a mysterious "uuhhh." He was pointing at all sorts of things and babbling a lot. He loves being outside and all last summer we would have to carry him in the house crying. It has begun again this spring...only now he is trying to figure out the locks on the front door! Yikes!
"Boys, do you know how to tell the age of a tree?...You count the rings...let's count together...58 years old!" I know the boys were thinking, "Our dad is the coolest, most awesome, smartest dad in all the world!"
Elijah and Luke were so excited to have "tracked" a print on their own...they started shouting, "Daddy, we found an animal track!" We hurried over to see them pointing at a boot print...."Oh, cool, you spotted a human track!" What a great segue for us to check out our own "tracks" in some unmarked snow.
The "still" happy hikers at the end of our journey...but definitely ready for stop at the local pizza shop.
We love days like this one...being able to spend the day as a family, chatting with each other, breathing the fresh air, working up an appetite, unplugged from the rest of the world, enjoying God's marvelous creation!
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