detours

 Today called for a trip to our favorite little farm market store nearly 20 miles away.  We didn't have any other plans, so first we explored a new park with a really funky caterpillar teeter totter kind of thing.

My kids are usually happiest when I'm playing along with them.  Plus, standing on one end bouncing them all was really good exercise :).

 *photo by Sylvia

 I usually bring along snacks and drinks whenever we leave the house, but I occasionally spring for a gas station picnic.  The girls adore doing this for some reason :)  This time it was a (surprisingly good) mango smoothie, a soft pretzel with cheese sauce and cheesy breadsticks with marinara.  Each girl picked one thing and they kindly shared them out.

 On the way home, we took a windy country road and couldn't resist stopping to pick some brilliantly colored wildflowers (dianthus, aka sweet william, I think).

"Can we bring one home with the roots and all to plant it?"

 And, oooh, is that the bike path?  Shall we stroll a bit, do you think?

 We admired the jewelweed and sniffed the bee balm.  We nibbled a few ripe raspberries.

 We played with the huge oak leaves.

*photo by Sylvia

It was by and large the little details and detours that made our day so much more than just a trip to the grocery store.