Forest Path

About a week ago, I was trying to think of a way to get my children to play outside more, rather than watching t.v. and playing computer games as much as they like to. I came up with the brilliant idea of building a forest path through the trees behind our house!

Up until now, my kids have been terrified to go into the forest due to fear of snakes and ticks and chiggers, but I felt confident that if they had a nice, groomed path to walk on and lots of bug spray, they could have the time of their lives exploring the jungle out there!

I spent a couple of hours raking leaves, trimming branches and moving rocks to create a clear path through the trees. Then, I used the weed-whacker to mow down a field of weeds and create a little play area around the small creek that trickles through the grove. There was even a fallen tree that made an awesome bridge for the boys to walk across.

The boys were in heaven! They absolutely loved their new play yard! For three days, they played tirelessly in the trees. Then, one morning we ran out of bug spray and I thought it would be okay for them to play for a little while without it. After all, we've never had a problem with mosquitos near the house, and I've never seen a tick in OUR woods. Apparently, I was mistaken. The boys came back covered in bug bites, and Brandon had one tick on his tummy. They all had trouble sleeping at night due to the itch-itch-itching all over their bodies.

Today, the forest path is abandoned, and no amount of bug spray will convince my wary sons that it's safe to venture out again!!!