staking our claim

Since I have a daughter who always wants to be outside... squawks and cries of outrage at the very thought of coming indoors away from the chickens. We have been spending many hours outside; until recently this has felt like a chore to me with a long list of Momma duties to be comfortable there... sunscreen, sunhat, fear of red ants, constant chasing of our 1 year-old... It was not relaxing for me to be outside, as I raced Cecilia away from dangers, and sitting in the yard on a sunny afternoon ought to be extremely relaxing I thought.

So I started making obstacles and boundaries for our child. Common items that were already in the yard have slowly been coming together to create a safe place for Miss. Ce. The canoe and picnic table have been moved for one fence line; the chicken pen, it's cover and our sailboat create another fence line. I have chairs and wheelbarrows strategically placed to suggest gateways. We have many sources of entertainment, our little hens run loose, the kiddie pool and sprinkler are available plus many toys to dig in the dirt pile with. We also have friends visit making for plenty of activity. I'm even able to carve out some places in the shade with my sketchbook to get a few pen lines to paper!

There is still plenty of chasing that happens, and we have plans to create some fences for our in-town yard, but until then we're going to enjoy being outside and safe! It's been an excellent lesson in being content with what we have... I'd been feeling myself thinking our yard was inferior and that we didn't live somewhere where a child could run free, but! We have so much right where we are! Just putting a little energy into our space has helped me to enjoy it, and of course sharing with friends makes a HUGE difference.

How has enjoying outside summertime helped shift your perspective?