Taking Kids in the Rain

I’m all for ‘Slinging in the Rain.’ Maybe it’s just because my kids aren’t young enough to whine, but I feel confident taking them out in the rain. My one year old is fascinated by the rain. In fact, I took her outside for a quick picture in our rain jackets and she cried the instant we stepped back inside.

Rain jackets in the storm.

We decided to take the girls for a walk through the neighborhood in the early hours of Hurricane Sandy.

Baja, Zac, and Hannah lead the way.  

The rain was plummeting, but there was no lightening and the area we walked through was clear of trees even though it was gusty. Audrey came, too! I bundled her up and put her in the carrier. She spent the first few minutes talking and smiling with me. Something about the fresh air always puts her in a good mood. Whenever a gust of wind blew between us she would gasp for a deep breath. The end of the walk yielded some tears, but we got home quickly and took care of the diaper issue.

Warm and snug with Mama.

Early in our relationship, I was intimidated whenever my husband tried to pull me out of my comfort zone for a hike. Now, I’m just as excited as the rest of the family to get outside to explore. It’s certainly easier to muster the courage to take two little girls out in a hurricane because he is a former rescue swimmer. I wouldn’t want them to miss out on any of the great lessons he can teach them about preparing for safety or tackling a challenge. Luckily, since I’m getting in the adventuring habit now they may never know that I was once a wimp.