Happy Solstice
Dec. 22nd, 2025 07:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spryngWe had a lovely Solstice. Every year I try to make it a little special, because while Christmas is all about family (and presents), I want the kids to also be in tune with the changing seasons and why they happen. My pagan days are long past, but you don't need to be religious to appreciate the return of the sun.
I made sourdough pancakes (trying to wake up my starter for bread and bagels later in the week) and we had a late breakfast, then headed out for a hike. There's a place where the Santa Fe river goes underground for several miles, and then re-emerges again, and it's a pretty short hike out to the river rise and back. I'd never been there before and I thought it was short enough for the kids to handle. We brought our binoculars, some snacks, and water and set out.
I'd previously taken 9yo and 4yo on hikes, but separate, and they'd both lagged and complained after about a mile. This time, they egged each other on and did really well. I carried 4yo a few times, but only for a few minutes each, and he never complained about how far it was. I'm hoping this means we can do more hikes, because that's something I really miss from pre-kid days. Granted, it was also easier to hike in AZ and WA, where the terrain is a lot more rugged but rewarding. Florida hikes are very... samesie. There's only so much scrub and pine you can see before you've seen it all. ^^()
Which is why I wanted to go on this hike: sure, the river rise ended up being somewhat anti-climatic (it looks more like a lake than where a river dramatically exits the ground), but we got to talk about how it goes underground through the limestone and then rises back up like at the springs we visit in the summer. Also, we got to see horses, since apparently it's a popular equestrian trail.
Anyway, it was lovely, and I hope to do more of them. My plan is to get the kids comfortable with mile + hikes, because we're going to the Grand Tetons this summer and, well, I want them to get more out of it than just hanging out in the lodge.
I still have to work today and tomorrow, but my heart isn't going to be in it. We may go out to my parents' today so my wife can make jam (our canning pot isn't induction-friendly, unfortunately, so we'll use their stove). I'll bring my laptop and work, but it'll be nice to be around family instead of on my own, even if I still have a lot to do before Thursday and I'm starting to panic (marshmallows, sweet potatos, bread, wrapping the last few presents, cleaning bathrooms, picking up, holiday cards, etc etc etc).
The first day of winter seems to also kick of Introspection Week for me, so I'm thinking back about my goals and plans for 2025 and what went right, what didn't, etc. I'll put those thoughts together in a different post, because it's good to give them space and get them out, but also 4yo just woke up and I should get him to daycare before I start work.
Happy Solstice! May your days be brighter, warmer, and kinder <3
I made sourdough pancakes (trying to wake up my starter for bread and bagels later in the week) and we had a late breakfast, then headed out for a hike. There's a place where the Santa Fe river goes underground for several miles, and then re-emerges again, and it's a pretty short hike out to the river rise and back. I'd never been there before and I thought it was short enough for the kids to handle. We brought our binoculars, some snacks, and water and set out.
I'd previously taken 9yo and 4yo on hikes, but separate, and they'd both lagged and complained after about a mile. This time, they egged each other on and did really well. I carried 4yo a few times, but only for a few minutes each, and he never complained about how far it was. I'm hoping this means we can do more hikes, because that's something I really miss from pre-kid days. Granted, it was also easier to hike in AZ and WA, where the terrain is a lot more rugged but rewarding. Florida hikes are very... samesie. There's only so much scrub and pine you can see before you've seen it all. ^^()
Which is why I wanted to go on this hike: sure, the river rise ended up being somewhat anti-climatic (it looks more like a lake than where a river dramatically exits the ground), but we got to talk about how it goes underground through the limestone and then rises back up like at the springs we visit in the summer. Also, we got to see horses, since apparently it's a popular equestrian trail.
Anyway, it was lovely, and I hope to do more of them. My plan is to get the kids comfortable with mile + hikes, because we're going to the Grand Tetons this summer and, well, I want them to get more out of it than just hanging out in the lodge.
I still have to work today and tomorrow, but my heart isn't going to be in it. We may go out to my parents' today so my wife can make jam (our canning pot isn't induction-friendly, unfortunately, so we'll use their stove). I'll bring my laptop and work, but it'll be nice to be around family instead of on my own, even if I still have a lot to do before Thursday and I'm starting to panic (marshmallows, sweet potatos, bread, wrapping the last few presents, cleaning bathrooms, picking up, holiday cards, etc etc etc).
The first day of winter seems to also kick of Introspection Week for me, so I'm thinking back about my goals and plans for 2025 and what went right, what didn't, etc. I'll put those thoughts together in a different post, because it's good to give them space and get them out, but also 4yo just woke up and I should get him to daycare before I start work.
Happy Solstice! May your days be brighter, warmer, and kinder <3
