An Adventure of "Epic" Proportions

I love to do ordinary things with Landon, BUT...I like to tell him the ordinary thing we are doing is an adventure. Because if I say thats what it is then to him a trip to the library is a thrilling event, a trip to the grocery store is an expedition, and an afternoon walk through the woods becomes an epic experience. The power of persuasion is really a blessing when you have a toddler!

 If there is one thing I want Landon to be able to do someday when he is grown and silly adventures are behind him, is to look back on his childhood and remember with great fondness all of the everyday magical experiences we shared together.

I was recently reading through the journal I started for Landon when I first found out I was expecting him. I highly recommend this to moms. I am so glad I have it now. Things you just "know" you will never forget become distant memories and you don't even realize it! Our brains can't possibly soak up and retain all of the cuteness that is our children. Kids change so much in the first year if you don't document those moments they can easily be replaced with new moments. Over the course of a lifetime thats a lot of replaced footage. Its not an all together tragic thing but I can tell you reading through the things I thought about at the time made me realize how fast time goes and how easily we forget. I was reading things and thinking to myself; "oh yeah, I forgot all about that". Some day I plan to give the journal to him, there are silly notes and drawings, and heartfelt words that Im so glad I have recorded. I don't write in it as often as I used to. The older he gets the farther spaced the entries seem to get. Ha, I can't imagine what adding another child to the mix will do. Anyway, on one of the pages this was my entry. It seemed so perfect for this entry....

7/20/11 
27 Weeks & 3 Days

Hi baby, 

Daddy's sister Fonda asked me what I was most looking forward to about being a mother. I wanted to share this with you. As of now I am most looking forward to seeing the world through your beautiful and innocent eyes. I already know you will teach me so much about myself and the world.

It amazes me how little this statement has changed over the years. Seeing the world through Landon's eyes still remains my favorite thing about being a mom. It is really what inspired me to write this blog. Landon has taught me what the truly important things in life are. My priorities and goals have changed as well as my outlook on things. Landon always takes the time to stop and smell the roses, its one of my favorite things about him. He is a noticer of people and things. I think it is a gift and I hope he doesn't lose this part of himself as he gets older.

Back to our ordinary walk in the woods EPIC adventure!

We recently checked out the movie "Epic" from our local library. He had never seen it and secretly I wanted to see it as soon as previews for it came out.
Disclaimer: This movie is several years old so I am reporting "old news". 
The movie was everything I imagined.  It was magical, whimsical, full of adventure and comedy. It was really a beautiful story. When I was a kid the movie "FernGully" is what I would liken it to. In any event its really a story about good and evil (aren't all stories). There are these sort of enchanted creatures, there are the "Leafmen"; protectors of the forrest (protagonists) and of course in any good story you must have some sort of opposing adversary (antagonists) to make things interesting. In this case the bad guys are called "Bogans". Before I get off on a full blown movie review let me get to the point.

Landon LOVED the movie and watched it over and over! Landy and I love to go for walks in the woods near our house. Its kind of our thing. When you are a SAHM you find ways to do convenient and free things, sometimes it just takes a little imagination. So, I thought it would be fun to go hunt for evidence of Bogans. Landy was totally down for it. He said we were going to be like the father and daughter duo of the movie and have an adventure. It makes my heart happy that he has an innate appetite for adventure. We made our way to the woods and it was everything I imagined and then some. Of course its cold now so the woods aren't exactly beautiful, there are mostly brown leaves covering the forrest floor and lots of grays and browns, the colors that define winter here. I actually think winter is beautiful in its own way, it's just an acquired taste! In any event we found evidence of battles between the Leafmen and the Bogans.

Suddenly, the broken tops of acorns became the shields used in the conflict for the forrest's destiny, small broken sticks became the arrows used in war, and broken nuts (?? I really don't know what they are) became the helmets of battle. We collected all of these treasures to take home and show Daddy. Landon was so excited and proud. We decided the Leafmen must be hibernating and that winter is really the season for Bogans. Now Landy can't wait for Spring so we can go back! There was even a tiny brook flowing through the woods, leaves became boats that would take Leafmen across the water, the green moss peaking through the dead leaves was evidence that the Bogans hadn't completely taken over, and broken stumps were seen as enchanted castles. We also saw a dead squirrel... It was actually pretty gruesome. I told Landy the evil Bogans did it and come Spring the Leafmen would make things right..... Really, because I am warped I imagined it was the handiwork of a future serial killer. I know, thats crazy. It kind of freaked me out and I was prepared to fight off any poor soul who happened to wander by. Alas we had the woods to ourselves!

Here are some pictures of our magical findings. For your viewing pleasure I left the squirrel out.

So this is a Leafman!

This is a nasty Bogan!

Evidence

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

 I didn't set out on my adventure with Landon thinking I would later write about it. However, it left such an impression on me and I just knew I had to share it. Sometimes being a grown up sucks! There is a reason we have coined phrases like; "Oh to be a kid again", or "Oh to be young again", and one of my favorites "If I knew then what I know now". The messages conveyed are the same; We all just need to take time to stop and smell the roses! We should live in the present and really drink it in. Whatever stage of life we are in we should be present and engaged. Looking backward and even looking forward can cause us to miss things around us now. Those phrases are also reminders that time flies by and that we should revel in our childhood and youth. Thank God for the gifts of children. Its almost like as parents we get to go back in time and relive a little bit of our youth. We try and make experiences magical for them and in a small way they become magical for us too. Who doesn't love to see a kid's face light up with joy? In reality parents go to ridiculous ends to make things special for their kids. I mean, have you seen all of this Elf on a Shelf business? All to convince our little ones that the magic of Santa is real! I think the parents enjoy it as much as the kids.

Or what about those insanely creative parents who stage their kids' dinosaurs in real life scenarios just to prove their really is such a thing as magic!

This is amazing!

My favorite!

What...Operation, thats old school!

This. is. glorious.

 Okay, I am getting carried away with sharing these images, they are all so good. Check out this link to see more: http://petapixel.com/2013/11/21/parents-keep-kids-imaginations-alive-creative-dinovember-project/

Sidenote: I am listening to Pandora and naturally I chose "Epic" Sountracks Radio. Can I just say in the last 10 minutes I have been treated to Jurassic Park AND Star Wars!

I guess if I had to have a takeaway it would be for all adults to desperately search for and find your inner child. Try and see the world through their eyes and I promise finding your inner child will be a piece of cake. Life really is so much more fun that way. Thats it in a nutshell!

I'm off to have more Epic Adventures!