I love October. From the temperatures to the football to my Halloween decoration that reads “Ghouls just wanna have fun,” it’s hard to not embrace this season.
Saturday was one of those ideal autumn days with an open agenda. While it’s easy for us to get wrapped up in the comfort food, the selecting of costumes and the snuggling under a blanket and watching college football, we definitely wanted to get out and enjoy the season and the sunshine.
Our family has always enjoyed the many parks and outdoors spaces Jasper County has to offer. From Jacob Krumm (previously called Jacob’s Crumb by our younger kids) to Maytag Park (known as Nametag Park by our then-toddler) we’ve truly loved the outdoor options here.
We’ve been to the Newton Arboretum on several occasions, but I was taken aback as we were discussing another visit — our very excited son described it as “better than Minecraft.” This is perhaps one the highest endorsements you can receive from an 8 year old.
If you’re unfamiliar with the game, let me explain it to you — it’s something our kids play obsessively on their tablets. They build stuff, and there are animals and creepers (my son has a T-shirt that says “creepers gonna creep” which I find hilarious because … “haters gonna hate.”) But truthfully, it’s a game we parents don’t understand. But hey, I’m the mom. I’m not that cool, and I’ve accepted it.
Since we were able to divorce our kids from their electronics and get them to the Arboretum, the usual magical thing happened — they became engaged in nature. They pointed out colors of fall leaves, climbed on rocks, stuck their heads as close as they could to the pond, spotted insects, selected favorite plants and ran as quickly as they could under a perfect autumn sun.
I’ve always found it eye opening to explore nature with children. The younger they are, the more they see — the infant mystified by a blade of grass and the toddler discovering their shadow.
I wondered this weekend what I might have missed without our kids. For sure the rock that was partially covered in moss, the light colored fish that swam with orange friends and maybe how each bench offers a view unlike all of the others.
Our next stop was to Maytag Park, where we finally had an opportunity to check out the new playground equipment — what an awesome thing for this community. I would be remiss if I didn’t admit my husband and I took a turn on the new fangled teeter-totter. Sometimes it’s hard to deny your inner child.
We also enjoyed a squirrel that seemed content with sitting on hind legs and observing the kids at play. We also watched as giant, yellow leaves descended from branches and fell to the ground, knowing that before too terribly long the leaves will be replaced by snow.
I’m not sure why as an adult we sometimes become shielded by some of the most magical things in this world. What a great time of year to go out and find them.
Contact Editor Abigail Pelzer at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6530 or apelzer@newtondailynews.com.