sidewalking

Most days I pick the kids up from preschool, and we park in our driveway at home. And most days, they want to go for a walk, and so we do.

We couldn't do this at our old apartment, since we lived on a ridiculously signed intersection, and we didn't have any sidewalks. So this is one of the small but important benefits of our new home.

Part of the appeal is that Jack likes to step on ants and other bugs. Kate has joined him in this exercise. I naturally love all of the earth's creatures, great and small, but you know, he's a 5-year-old boy, and they're bugs. So what are you gonna do.

We walk about half a block, turn, and walk back. We usually see people walking their dogs. Yesterday we met a woman walking a Rescue dog, the friendliest black lab you'll ever meet. Jack is a little wary, but he gradually works up the nerve to pet it. He smiles goofily as he does so.

Kate hangs back, then gets brave as the dog leaves. She steps forward onto the sidewalk (off our lawn) and yells down the street. "Bye, doggie! BYE DOGGIE.....!!!!!!!!"