Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: family

From 1 Kid to 2…How Outdoor Adventures Have Changed…

From 1 Kid to 2…How Outdoor Adventures Have Changed…

A couple of weeks ago I received a question from reader Patricia T. that really made me stop and think.  She basically wanted to know specifics about how life has changed for us since adding another child to our family.  In her words – “…I’ve had so many people tell me that the second one really shuts your life down.  Now, I’m trying to take that with a grain of salt, b/c I think we (I’m assuming she meant outdoorsy folks) are cut from a different cloth.  But it still worries me.  What’s your take on this?”   I wrote a…Read the rest of this entry →

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Climb Time for the Whole Family (What Works for Us!)

Climb Time for the Whole Family (What Works for Us!)

It’s my theory that eavesdropping on a family’s Sunday night dinner conversation is one of the quickest ways to figure out what’s most important to that family.  The weekend is over and everyone is setting their sights onto a new week, planning out the logistics of who’s doing what, when and how.  Which activities/events are the first up for discussion?  You know, those things that you want to MAKE time for, despite how busy you are?  Each family’s discussion will be different of course, but the logistical conversations are often the same – how to make sure ______ gets to…Read the rest of this entry →

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The Freedom of Stepping Back

The Freedom of Stepping Back

I learned a long time ago that any writing done when I am rushed and/or not inspired to write is writing that is not worth reading.  Which is why you may have noticed things have been a little quieter around here of late.  The arrival of Baby Z, combined with summer (meaning no preschool mornings for Big C…) has put a giant dent in the time I have available to write.  In fact, over the past few weeks I’ve seen the small windows of time that I previously had for myself shrinking away to practically nothing.   While Baby Z is a…Read the rest of this entry →

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8 New Things About Sunset Beach (and Sunscreen Giveaway!)

8 New Things About Sunset Beach (and Sunscreen Giveaway!)

This summer marks our family’s 4th beach trip with the Crag-Daddy’s extended family.  One week out of every summer is “come one, come all” at a giant house at Sunset Beach.  Over the years we’ve developed a few traditions about how our family “does” the beach, but this year in particular brought a lot of newness.  Here’s just a few of the “new” highlights we enjoyed… 1.  3 NEW FAMILY MEMBERS:  Last year I, along with BOTH of my sisters-in-law, were pregnant…2 of us in the exhausted, nauseous early weeks, and 1 in the uncomfortable latter stage.  Energy levels were at…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Type 2 Fun” with a Four Year Old…

“Type 2 Fun” with a Four Year Old…

“Is this the same way you went with Daddy?” I asked with raised eyebrows as the undergrowth got thicker and taller, leaving nothing but a narrow sliver of trail beneath it.  Big C nodded uncertainly, and we pressed on, pushing our mountain bikes further and further into the thicket, along what must have been a (seasonal) game trail. Then we hit the blackberry patch, or rather it hit us, in all of its thorny glory.  (Why had I decided to wear Chacos for this “cas ual” afternoon bike ride?!?)  Big C got snagged a few times, but I took the brunt of…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN