“Sunscween?”

“Bye bye,” I said. “Mummy is going for a bushwalk.”

“No, no, no!! Mummy BABY booshwalk!” he said, blocking me from shutting the door while I was trying to go on my solo hike.

“If you want to bushwalk with me, you HAVE to wear your hat.”

“Sunscween,” he said.

“No, buddy,” I said. “It is too hot. You have to wear your hat.”

After some negotiation from the toddler, Daniel finally managed to get the hat on and even though he immediately sulked, he picked up his bike, headed to the car, and came with me.

I didn’t think I’d get ANY of my hike done at this stage but I went anyway. I felt it was a worthy trade-off it it meant SOME time with the hat ON and potentially more hikes for me in the future.

He got on the bike, and off we hiked…

Silently, though?

On the way down to the Bay, I stopped once or twice just to tell the toddler his relentless whinging was “unbearable…”

I said it was “The bane of my existence” at one stage, just for effect.

But… magic happened soon after.

I told him we’d go home.

“Go home,” he replied, ready.

“If you stop whinging, you can take your hat off when we get back to the car,” I said, with hope and a little more grace than earlier.

“Deal?” I asked, while I put my hand out for a hand shake.

“Dewhl,” he replied, and shook my hand, with a little grin.

On the way back out of the hike, we pointed out the trees and the “baby dragons”; I even talked about how QUIET and PEACEFUL they were, and he just looked at them in awe (and I, him).

A couple of times, I stopped just to take it in.

I sat with the breeze on my face, looking at his little face.

It’s been a huge year, but particularly few months, and I’m sure he feels that. So each time I stopped I would say, “I love you, buddy. I’m always with you, okay?” ‘Just like nature,’ I thought.

Roller-effing-coaster.

This isn’t the age old “it’s hard but it’s worth it” post…

No…

Being out in the bush is magic for my soul.

Being a mother has built me into who I am and I’m both incredibly proud of the little boy we’re raising; while also, sometimes, completely exhausted by it all. It’s something else.

Being a mother is also magic. Even the waves make it so.

I’ve been waiting for that hat to come on, so I could hike in the sunshine as the UV’s been higher again.

We did it.

I’m glad I got a bushwalk with my baby.

“A walk in nature, walks the soul back home.”

Mary Davis