Watching Trains

Everyday Escapes

Last Wednesday I took the kiddies to Coyote Hills.

Here they are checking out the map above and Gigi asks me where we are.

I show her and she says excitedly, "Here we are!"

In case you want to make your own visit or use their toilets instead of the porto-potties on your run/hike or are hungry and need a snack/drink, this place has it all.

Pleasantly surprised, we found the Visitor's Center to be visually stimulating & museum-ish. Definitely a good thing in my opinion :) Gigi will be four in June and Gavin two, so our "tour" needed to be brief and hands-on.

Here go the dynamic-duo opening drawers and learning a little bit about Native Americans.

They really appreciated the nature displays of animals in their habitats, most especially Gavin!

He would shriek in delight at the sight of an animal, point at them, and ask me what they were..that alone made the trip worthwhile ;D

I picked up my 2012 Trail Challenge t-shirt and picked up a couple of granola bars and water for our hike.

We chose a kid-friendly uphill stroll that had wooden steps.

Of course we were going at the pace of turtles because stepping up each one of those wide wooden planks was not easy for my boy.

We had ourselves some fun making the slow trek up with Gigi singing her hiking song...

and Gavin a total champ making his way up those planks...

And finally! We get there and make some memories ;D

My kids are definitely getting used to all my picture-taking because they sat themselves down and posed here on their own with only verbal prompting from me.

A definite scrap-bookable moment :)

And, he's off!!..

Impromptu-photo shoot coming to a close.

They take in the beautiful views....

..learn how to enjoy nature...

..and enjoy an active lifestyle while spending time with mommy :)

***

Here's the thing. I don't believe in waiting until the weekend or vacations or special occasions to celebrate. With some creativity, energy, and resourcefulness everyday escapes can be found very close to home and can lead to extraordinary adventures. 

Here's to livin' it up! One turtle step at a time.

Happy Monday Friends! 

Niles Library

Tuesdays are terrific because it means an outing to the Niles Library :)

Gavin and I started our morning at Starbucks after we dropped off Gigi at school. I had a coffee and he had a banana.

The artwork pictured above was created by a resident in celebration of the library's 50th anniversary. I need to warn you that this library is tinnnnnnyyyy. I'd estimate it to be around 600 - 700 square feet. Even still, I heart this place. It is super cute, quaint, and located in historic downtown Niles near the Railroad Station. Another thing I like is you can check out the most current issue of a magazine/periodical. In comparison to larger libraries, current issues are not available for check out and must be read in-house. They are open on Tuesdays only from 10 am - 5 pm.

We read some books on our own and skipped Toddler reading time today to enjoy the good weather to walk around, and of course, take a few pics along the way : )

Gavin found a pinwheel we got from Happy Hallow over the weekend and brought it along.

It turned out to be a good photo prop..

..that kept him busy and entertained while I snapped away.

"Let's go to the train station mommy." Ok :D

Hope your Tuesday is terrific :-)

Adventures with the boy

After toddler time at the library today, Gavin and I decided to do some exploring. We found ourselves at the Niles Depot train station. I've never really stopped and looked around this area, and I figured it would be a fun first for the both of us. Here are a few pics from this morning:

Hope everyone is having a good Tuesday and a very happy birthday to Helen Chou!!