What a girl wants.

We went to the town's oldest park yesterday afternoon for a picnic dinner and a hike; the weather superb for the undertaking, overcast and breezy but still warm. We trotted up and down the trails, staring in amazement at the size of the trees, the closest we have to old growth. Deep pockets of sword fern, thick carpets of moss, sky twinkling through the canopy far above. Eyes peeled for woodpeckers, we saw evidence but no birds. I reminded PapaMonkey of the first time we hiked here; he found a tail feather from a redtailed hawk which hangs still on my dresser mirror. Yesterday, though, nothing more exotic than many other families with strollers and dogs... Until! Bursting out of the foliage, a family (herd? flock?) of wild turkeys. So off I go to photograph them, tiptoeing among the poison oak; turns out they're not the least bit interested in posing for paparazzi.

After all is said and done, we arrive back at the bottom where we started, laughing and out of breath, and I think I have again created a summer memory for the kids that they'll revisit as adults...

Then I ask GirlMonkey what her favorite part of the trip was.

"Eating all the Animal cookies," she says.

Oasis

The rain came just as it grew dark. Hot rain, summer rain. Fat drops on sunburned skin.

My gorgeous Monkey #2 started to dance in the rain. And I did, too. And laughed. And she was magical, face shining in the streetlight, hair sprung into tangled curls, clothes plastered against her little body. She was surprised that I was there with her, being a kid, being free. Not giving a thought to what the neighbors must think until much later, and finding I didn't much care.

The boy Monkeys stayed under the canopy and watched us, shaking their heads. Monkey #1 wasn't so surprised, though, he's able to remember earlier times, when I was able to shed my self-conscious-ness? adult-ness? restrained-ness?

Joy in just being in my body, in my world. Joy in dancing in the rain with my little girl. I need to do it more. I will do it more.