It's an unseasonably warm and sunny November afternoon. Our family decides to take advantage and have a lunch picnic in the park. If this was one of "those" blogs I would say something like this:
We enjoyed a lovely picnic in the park today. The golden sunlight streamed through the sparse leaves clinging to the branches of the trees overhead. A few sparrows swooped and dove in the brush and branches around us. The kids sat nicely on the blanket nibbling fruits and organic vegetables, and all kinds of other simple, natural things. Their BPA free sippie cups filled with filtered water they sipped as we enjoyed each other's company and the day.

However, it's not one of "those" blogs. It's my blog. And in my efforts to be genuine, authentic, and honest i have to tell you how this picnic really went down.
We stopped at Meijer on the way to the park because we had no real travel able food at home. We bought lunchables, jelly beans, ding dongs, and I will admit at the very least raisins and pears. There was a plethora of whining from our 4 year old who didn't "Yike" her chicken nugget lunchable, which she hadn't even tried a single bite of. Not to mention we argued with her in the store when SHE picked it that she probably should make a different choice. Several whining, screaming minutes later, and with the threat of leaving without a nature walk, she nibbled a bite. More whining and attempted negotiations ensued as she tried to wriggle out of eating the measly two chicken nuggets Daddy told her she had to eat to earn a nature walk. Meanwhile the baby was shoveling his face full of the same lunchable chicken nuggets, slathered lavishly in ketchup. Then he ate a box of raisins, a tiny pear, and a cupcake. Both kids swilled silver rectangles of fruit punch the size of their faces.
However, despite her very best efforts, our 4 year old did NOT ruin our picnic...would it have been more enjoyable had she sat nicely, eaten the food she picked without complaint, wiped her mouth, threw her trash away and skipped off onto a sweet little earthen path through the woods. Well, yea! However it wouldn't have made her a kid.
Kids are messy. They're complicated. Often their whiny. Their legs hurt, they have to go potty, or they just plain don't want to. And you know what? That's OK. She's only 4. It's easy to forget sometimes just how small and new they still are as whiny, crabby, demanding, messy toddlers and preschoolers. Sometimes it feels like they are doing these things just to irritate us and make our lives more difficult and complex. But honestly, they're not. They are just little. The world is still a big and confusing place that they are learning how to get along in.
And honestly I don't like green beans and if you tried to make me eat two of them before I could do something I really wanted to do, I just might whine and cry and carry on too!
:-)
Oh, and the nature walk...stunning, breathtaking, and enjoyable as ever!!
God is so good and has blessed me...(ME!?!) with this wonderful family.