Maximus Enjoyment!!!

Ok, I may be just a touch prejudiced but this kid is just pure awesome-ness. He is so sweet and smart and funny. I love hanging out with him every day. The best thing is he is still firmly Mama's boy!! He is all boy and adores the rough-housing with his Daddy and his brothers but at the end of the day, Mama is still the center of his universe. To him I am the smartest, the funniest, the sweetest, the warmest, the softest (his words there LOL) and his idea of a good time is with his Mama! I know (from experience!!) that this too shall pass. He'll head out into the wide world of people and his teacher will suddenly be smarter than Mom. Someday little Susie will be prettier than Mom. Someday he will even ROLL HIS EYES at Mom. (well, if his sisters are any indicator anyway!!) I can see in him the traits that will make him a good man someday. He will be a good father and husband. But he will always be my sweet baby boy and he will always adore his Mama!!

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.  
~~~ Robert Frost
 
 
Ok, as I type that I realize it would be a stellar start to some grand poignant post about the choices one makes in life. Alas, this post is literally about a road. Perhaps I should have titled it, "Turn Right For Once!" or something more mundane. In reality, the road did make me feel poignant and poetic so what the hell, I'll go with it.
 
We moved into our new neighborhood in late November which means that although the walking paths were a huge draw for us we have yet to make proper use of them. I've gone for a handful of walks, most in the "housey" parts of the neighborhood, just up and down the streets and to the little park. When I get to the end of my street I hang a left and just go up and down the streets on that side. It's a nice walk. The paths are really nice... they're wide and away from the streets and mailboxes. The houses are gorgeous and there are usually people out walking their dogs which is fun. We also pass a coupleponds and say hello to our ducks. (I say they're ours because the pond feeds into the stream behind our house and we feed the ducks there.)
 
Yesterday, I turned right. I went deeper into the neighborhood and stayed on the main street the whole time, no up and down the side streets where the houses were. Man was this walk different! The path winds around (away from the street enough) past ponds and waterfalls, up and down hills, under trees most of the way. You feel like you're walking in the woods. We saw our ducks, new ducks, geese, and even a crane. The views were amazing. The hills made a great workout. (My legs are KILLING me this AM!) 
 
So, just by doing one tiny thing different the usual became a new experience. Makes me wonder what else I'll find if I keep trying new things!!