SECRET PLACES

Isn't it funny how you can live somewhere almost your whole life and still discover new places practically on your doorstep!  When Ayana was a baby (seems like another lifetime ago) I used to put her in the ergo almost everyday and go walking for a couple of hours.  She would happily snooze away snuggled in close to my chest, and I was able to get some fresh air.  I would choose a different park, beach or suburb each time and go exploring.  It really opened my eyes to the fact that there is often so much more to our neighborhoods than we can imagine.  We're always longing for the next holiday, the next getaway when in reality there's probably a little beach tucked away just around the corner where the tree's hang over the water and the battered cliffs conjour up thoughts of smugglers and long lost treasures.  I'm quickly learning that when you have a toddler you're constantly looking for new ways to keep them entertained and help inject some imagination into those growing little minds.  At the moment Ayana is more interested in climbing stairs and up the cliff side but I'm sure it won't be long before she'll be fending off pirates and building shelters on shipwreck islands.  For that I hope we have many years of exploring ahead of us!