We headed back into the Lainzer Tiergarten today with friends for a nice hike and some fort building fun.
This was the first time I have ever managed to get by children out of the house by 8:30 am in the summer. They all got up, made and packed sandwiches and water, and were ready to go a little after 8:00. I guess they were excited to go hiking! The hike was a really relaxing for the moms since the kids really looked out for one another. When James was tired, a big kid would give him a piggy back ride, but mostly he just hiked right along with the older boys, happy to be part of the group. This is the first long walk we have ever been on that I didn’t end up carrying the little guy.
The best part of the hike was when the kids all decided to work together to build a fort. Kids ages 2 – 13 all worked together. There were no fights, arguments, tears, hurt feelings – just hard working kids gathering pine cones, sticks, bark, mushrooms, and all kinds of fun items to build their huge fort complete with bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, and weapon storage in the boys bedroom.
The kids were so proud to give the moms a tour of the fort when they finished. I really love and appreciate the way the older kids included all the small friends in their games in the forest today. Everyone felt included and excited today. James was so happy that the older boys walked with him and played with him the whole time we hiked. Marion sometimes struggles to play in a group, but Ellie took her under her wing today and really helped her feel like an important part of the group. They made a bedroom in the fort to share and made baskets to use for gathering fun items in the forest. It was really sweet.
We had some great wildlife experiences in the woods today. On our way back towards the entrance, we saw a wild boar. Marion was so excited and kept yelling, “Piggie!” over and over. We saw another wild boar later on in the woods. There were some really amazing beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, and one little green caterpillar that also made our hike great. We are so grateful today for good friends and the beautiful world we live in!
