Brothers in the Woods

 J took Felix with her to a coffee date, and I had James and Owen done with school a little early.

"Boys, what would you think about riding your bikes to the woods and then going for a run on the trails?"

They both seemed to like the idea. Once we were at the trailhead and I'd already pulled Owen back from bolting down into the woods immediately I gave them some reminders.

"Okay boys, I want to remind you of four things. The first thing is that there is poison ivy growing in these woods, so please stay only on the trail and don't go crashing off into the woods or grabbing at the plants growing on the side. No Owen, I said four things. Please wait to start. The second thing is that we are going to run for over a mile, so PACE yourselves. If you run as fast as you can right at the beginning you're going to be too tired to make it all the way back. The third thing is to remember to watch where you're stepping. There are a lot of tree roots and rocks in the path, and it will hurt if you catch your foot on and trip. The last thing is just to keep in mind that it's a warm, sunny day and that there might be snakes out. They can't hurt you, but I just want to remind you that you may see one so that it doesn't scare you. Okay, are we ready?"

Owen immediately took off running as fast as he could, and within two steps had tripped over a tree root and sprawled into the dirt with howling indignation. James pointed and laughed at him and said, "Well, there's strike one!"

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY, JAMES! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU TRIPPED AND ALMOST DIED?"

We dusted Owen off and confirmed that he would need a band-aid when he got back. (Not because he was bleeding, but because he just felt like he needed one.) We ran a little bit further and James tripped and fell. Owen pointed and laughed at him, and James answered back in a wounded voice that it wasn't funny and that it really hurt.

Owen talked the entire time that he ran. He talked about which trees we were running by, mostly mispronouncing the types of wood that are used for wandmaking in the Harry Potter books. (Is that a hoilly tree? I think that one is a leendeen!) He commented on a weird name Fang was for a boarhound, and are boarhounds scary? He wanted to know why Mom hadn't noticed that he wasn't scared of bees anymore, and he jumped a mile when he saw a bee. He and James kept their eyes open for snakes and repeatedly crashed off into the brush in search of one, but without luck. James fell again and Owen laughed at him. Owen fell again and James laughed at him.

Owen declared, "I live my life by one simple rule!"

I asked him what his one rule for living was.

"Never hit a bush with a hockey stick!"

Owen got tired out after less than five minutes of running at top speed and lagged for the rest of the (now) walk. He laughed at James when he fell again. He smugly walked past his older brother and declared, "How lucky I am to the be the smartest child!"

They picked up handfuls of dirt from the sandy areas of the path and threw them at each other. They both tattled on the other one for throwing sand when I told them not to.

Owen fell again. "Strike seven!" yelled James, cheerfully.

Owen started to lag further and further behind. "Fine! Leave me here!" he shouted at us as we kept up a steady pace back towards the bikes.

Sometimes he doesn't know how appealing that sounds.

BONUS FELIX STORY:

J was baking something and banging on the side of a bowl with a wooden spoon. We heard it from out in the yard. Felix whipped around and asked, "Is dat a poodwecker?"

BONUS OWEN STORY:

For reasons known only to him, Owen has started barking whenever he is excited. (And he is a very excitable child.) I'm not even sure he can help it. He looks a little embarrassed when it happens, but it definitely does happen whenever he is joyous. "Bark, bark, bark!" he yells. Offer him ice cream the next time you see him, and you can see for yourself.