Ethan the explorer vs. the neighborhood

While it was a bit chilly yesterday, it was a beautiful day so around 4:00 the kids and I went on a walk around the neighborhood.  Ethan can actually go uphill on his bike now, so it's doable with him riding and me pushing Rachel in the stroller.  I think that walk is one of the most fun times we've had in a while.  Thankfully I had no expectations to be back home at any certain time because it took us over an hour to make the circle around our house.  Sometimes I forget how curious Ethan is and how many questions he has about the things around him when we're playing inside so much.  He asked about all of the hay on the ground (pine straw), why so many cars and trucks were taking naps that late (parked on the street), why the cat wouldn't come closer so he could pet him, if every tree was a Christmas tree or just a regular tree, he asked if we could pick up all the acorns so the ants wouldn't eat them, he asked how someone could draw such a big circle on the ground (cul-de-sac), and lots of other things that have already escaped my memory.  And all the while Rachel was just kicking away in her stroller.  Probably our best find of the day was this...

became this...

...a stage!  I'm not really sure what it is, but this was Ethan's pièce de résistance.  It was a trampoline, then a stage, then just a good place to smash acorns.  And Rachel was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.  I think we'll start making this a daily ritual - if nothing else I can feel better about myself that I'm getting some form of exercise for the day.