Finding Your Inner Child

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Over Spring Break, my little sister, who is twelve, came to visit. We planned on spending our days at the beach, soaking up the rays and enjoying nature’s sweet song, but it ended up being rainy and chilly. We thought of fun ways to fill our time, such as going to the Big Tree in Rockport and visiting the Museum of Science and History. On one particular morning, my little sister Elle, got the idea to go horseback riding on the beach. I was not all for it, but said that I would go. After all, horseback riding on the beach was on my bucket list. Fast forward 5 hours later, and I’m on the back of a horse named Neptune. 

Here’s Elle, on her horse named Ace, who of course was much more well behaved than Neptune. Isn’t she the cutest?!

Y’all, I was scared, anxious, worried, nervous, any negative emotions that you can think of right now, I was all of them mixed together. For about 20 minutes I was convinced that my lunch was going to come up. The trail was bumpy, and the horses kept nudging (and sometimes biting) each other, sending waves of anxiety through me. Neptune decided that he wanted to lead the herd and kept barreling through huddles of horses to show his dominance. I, of course, had a lot to say to him about the way he was acting but he didn’t seem to hear me. Anyhoo, to round up this story, my point of the matter is that I marked something off my bucket list. I did it! And I probably never would have done it without the urging of my little sister.

At the end of the beach trail ride, I was rewarded with this gorgeous sunset. I am so thankful that Elle talked me into going riding and even though parts of the experience were uncomfortable for me, I don’t regret participating.

That’s the funny thing about kids, you guys. Their sense of adventure simply knows no bounds, and honestly, this is something that us adults should be soaking up. Let’s start indulging in our children’s natural curiosity, instead of quelling it or not joining in. If we do this, I think we may be surprised at all the places it will take us. Both literally and figuratively.

When my husband and I found out that we were having a boy, I was little shocked. I am a girly girl, and that’s putting it lightly. How was I going to be a boy mom?! Well, 10 months later, here I am, loving being a mom to a little boy, which yes, is basically summed up with the definition: (noun) a noise with dirt on it. Yesterday, my son and I danced around the house chanting, “change! your! diaper! change! your! diaper!” in a super deep voice, over and over again, and both of us giggled until we couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t until five minutes later, after I had changed his diaper, that it occurred to me how strange that little dance and chant was. You know what? It was fun. It gave me a much needed break from the real world, and my son adored it.

If you have older kids, maybe one Saturday you could ask them how they would prefer to spend the day. You never know what they may say. They may want to go crab hunting on the beach or simply make a blanket fort in the living room and pretend that it’s a pirate ship. Use these opportunities to get to know your child, get a break from the stress of the real world, and to find your inner child. I, for one, can not wait to jump around in rain puddles and play Indians and Cowboys with my son as he grows older. For now, I’m perfectly content to just watch as my son observes the world around him, and wonder what impossibly creative things his little mind is coming up with.

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Amy
An original Okie, Amy and her husband moved to the Coastal Bend in 2015. She is a stay-at-home mom to one ornery little boy and a wife to an ornery high school football coach and math teacher. Before becoming a wife and momma, Amy received a bachelors degree from Oklahoma State University (go pokes!) in Design, Housing, and Merchandising. She enjoys creating a homemade lifestyle for her family-lots of DIY-ing, homemade baby food, and cloth diapering happens around her house! When Amy is not attending high school sporting events or on mommy duty, she enjoys reading, writing, running, spending time on Pinterest, drinking coffee, and cooking healthy meals.

1 COMMENT

  1. You’re a hero! Keep it up you’re making positive change for moms! Kids need lots of exploring time all through their lives, days at home, meals at home etc. keep it up

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