Daily Outdoor Challenge, wk 9

We are going into week 9 of our Daily Outdoor Challenge and I'm finding the discipline of this challenge is so good for me... Sometimes I still find myself stuck in the mindset of watching from the inside.

Wednesday brought our first monsoon rain of the season.  Since we live here in the desert, rain is a hot commodity.  Those of us who are natives race outside and celebrate.  Non-natives, like my husband, grumble about the rain because they moved here to escape it.  {Sixteen years of sunshine and he isn't tired of it yet.}  When we made our comparative rainfall charts a few years ago, he smiled in satisfaction at our measly 8 inches of average rainfall per year.

Despite my typical excitement over rain, I've been super busy and was in the midst of working on a writing project when their giggles of delight drew me to the window.  And then it hit me, "Hello Heather.  Go OUTSIDE and play WITH your kids."  You would think that this would be my primary response by now...  I was a smidge stressed and could use the time to laugh, unwind and play too.

And so I did.  We played tag until we were laughing so hard we could barely stand -water dripping and grinning from ear to ear.  I was refreshed, invigorated and ready to really focus again on my task for the day once I returned indoors. 

{hahaha, aren't self-portraits the best.}

We enjoyed a good deal of time outdoors this week.  Inspired by our adventures with mesquite, we continued to collect pods. 

We tackled a fitness assessment for our new PE program that we are starting and took a few IMAGINATION WALKS.  Do your kids like to 'make-believe' while out for walks?  I'm curious to know what girls might make-up...  Over here we discovered a 'monster' living in the storm drains and the bushes all had chomping alligators.  It was fun to enter into their imaginative world with them -running around corners, hiding behind street poles and to run screaming away from rustling bushes.  I can only imagine that the neighbors think I'm totally nuts if they weren't sure of that before...

And of course, our Fourth of July celebrations lent itself to time outdoors as well.  There is something so idyllic about gathering on a blanket to watch fireworks!