Taking Toddler Walks

The evenings have been so. fabulous. lately.  Not so sweltering hot like it seems it's been since we've been here and definitely not cold yet either.  MVJ and I have taken to walking to get the mail in the evenings.  Simple task, right?  Let me try to help you take a little walk with us.

First of all we have to descend the steps of our home.  M's preferred mode is probably me carrying her, which I'm trying to stymie (I think I used that correctly... English majors?  Anyone?).  Her next favorite is going tummy first (as opposed to on her tummy which I think would be the safest).  She is almost tall enough to reach the hand rail, so she has one hand on the rail and one in my hand.  Down the stairs.  Shoes on.  Help Mommy open the door, help Mommy shut off the lights and finally help Mommy close the door.  Steps outside - here she can hold on to the rail, but with the cement, I always try to hold her hand too. 

THEN, we have to get past all the cars.  She wants to touch all of the hoods and of course drive them all.  I try to tell her they may be hot.  She sometimes walks up to them and fans her hands to cool them off while saying, "Hot."  Occasionally a friend or two is playing in the grass.  (A family with FOUR little girls moved in close to us as well as a family with two kiddos from India.)  She doesn't quite want to "play" yet but loves to watch them!  Then, there's the grass, sticks, trees, berries (that she tries EVERY TIME to put in her mouth.  EVERY TIME.  Every one.), close to the sidewalk.  There's the temptation to go into the parking lot.

Once we pass the cars and kiddos, we've almost made it to the pool area (our cut spot), we of course have to touch all the plants, try out all of the lounge chairs close by, and say hi to everyone out sunbathing.  One poor guy was sleeping as M yelled across the pool area a very emphatic and friendly, "HI!!!!"  THEN we pass the workout facility.  M looooves pressing her little nose to the window and waving at everyone there.  Thank goodness no one has fallen off a treadmill yet...  After the workout place comes the pop machine, on which M just has to try the buttons.  Maybe she'll get lucky with an orange soda one of these days...

Next is the tennis court.  I've given up trying to walk past it.  We go in and M runs around for a while.  She scoots herself under the net and tries to also sneak under the chain link fence.  At least at this point, Mommy can sit down if she wants.  M is fenced in.  What harm can come?  ; )

Back onto the sidewalk.  Sometimes we're lucky enough to see a dog at this point.  M has become much more friendly with dogs.  She still will not pet one, but I don't have to be holding her the whole time.  She loves saying, "Hi" and "Bye bye" to her canine compadres.  Then we have to cross the busy-ish street to get to the mail kiosk.  M HAS to hold my hand.  If she refuses, I pick her up, kicking and screaming and all.  Mommy's rules.  I tell you what.

NOW we've reached the mailboxes.  NOW M has to try a key - generally our van key (I'm guessing because it's the longest and fattest) on every mailbox within reach.  Sometimes, when I have all my wits about me, I've already unhooked the mailbox key from the set before letting her loose on this task.  Then she usually notices what I've done and gives me the stank eye.

This is only half of our trek people!  We still have the return trip!  Variations I've tried:
a) putting M in her stroller.  She really does well with this and sits the whole time, but what fun is that?  I want her to explore and be a toddler.  It's also good for her to take a walk and get some exercise.  What am I saying?  She runs around nonstop from the time she is awake, till her head hits the crib mattress.  But anyways, the exploration point.  Yeah, that one is valid.
b) bringing M's stroller with her baby so she could walk it.  I thought that would give her a distraction for at least the cars and berries.  Not so much.  I ended up carrying her darn stroller most of the time.  At least it was a holder for my cellphone and keys...
c) if it times right - and it's a miracle when it does - M and I will get to the mailbox and Daddy will pick us up on his way back from school.  We've also done this some Saturdays and then headed out to run errands or whatever.  That nice walk usually calms our crazy baby a little when let loose in a store.