Kid Magic: CSA Summer ’13 ” Week #13

Every year Mike’s family goes up to a cabin in the Northwood, (just outside of Boulder Junction)  for the Labor Day weekend.  A family tradition, we always do our best to go. Last year we missed it, as Edie was born on Labor Day (fitting, right?). But this year we really wanted to make it up there.

The harvest season is upon us, however. and it’s an extremely busy time of year.  So going away for three full days is no small feat.

From March through November we work 6+ days a week.   There are very few things that can be skipped. Plants need watering. Pigs need feeding. Weeds need cultivating.  Food needs to be harvested, etc.  We worked Sunday, we worked every night until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore.  We made list upon list to make sure our crew knew what to do in our absence.  It was insane.

There were several times when we asked ourselves last week, is this really worth it?  Is three days away worth a full week of extra hours and stress before it?

I am extremely happy to report that indeed, it was definitely worth it.

The weekend was full of everything family Northwoods’ weekends typically are: good food, fun on the water, woodland explorations, cousins playing happily together, adults enjoying drinks and games at night. You know, like the Wisco version of the Norman Rockwell painting.

But there were three moments that made this trip up north especially wonderful, and they all happened on Sunday.

The first was a canoe ride. Mike and I always take a little paddle when we go up. But this year was the first year we successfully took Zea, our older daughter, age 3. She was very nervous to get in and could remember previous trips where she had cried in her uncomfortable “boat coat.”  But lured by the chance to see a special river – one her older cousins had yet to see – she got on board. We paddled across a small section of Lake McCullough to a river that connects it to Beaver Lake. It’s a shallow river surrounded by wetland sedges and beautiful lily pads and their white flowers. It was overcast and breezy, and you could hear the wind rustling through the grasses and pine trees on shore.  We stopped for a moment and took in the quietness of the place. I hugged Zea tightly and said, “Listen to the songs the Earth is singing to you.”  She was stock still and listened. Then she smiled.  I realized in that moment we had made it feel magical for her.  Helping a child feel the magic of the world around her is such an incredible joy to experience as a parent.

The 2nd moment of awesomeness occurred later that day. I was hiding behind some coats by the washing machine.  My nieces and nephews’ feet were pounding around upstairs as they were trying to find me. My heart was pounding and I was thinking about nothing.  Just a fast-beating heart and the anticipated excitement of being found. At that moment, I felt like a kid.  Of course the moment I realized it, the window was gone. But just for that fleeting moment I was a kid again playing hide and seek.

Creating a magical moment for our child; feeling like a kid myself. You might wonder what else I could add to the list?

Celebrating Edie’s 1st birthday.  She ate her first piece of beet chocolate cake and stared sort of dumbfounded as a room full of people sang a song with her name in it.  Super fun.

Here’s hoping all of you had an enjoyable Labor Day. We want to send a big thanks to our crew, as we couldn’t have had this special get-away without all of your hard work and dedication. Thank you!

P.S. Good luck to all the students, teachers, and parents of school-kids out there returning to school this week!

• Cilantro
• Edamame

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