Winter weather in the Pacific Northwest can get you down for
sure. We spent all day yesterday with the kids cooped up in the
house, trying to figure out what to do. They were bored and let
their energy out by fighting with each other. This made us realize
once again that our kids really need a good amount of daily
exercise, and we decided that no matter what the weather, we were
going to go on a hike today.
It was pouring when we woke up, but we were determined to go on
our hike. We prepared with rain jackets and hiking shoes and hit
the trails. The rain was really warm and refreshing, and the kids
loved having permission to get soaked and muddy. It felt so nice to
get some fresh air and exercise, and the pace that the kids kept
reminded us again how much it was needed.
We hiked one of our favorite trails in Corvallis -
the Homestead Trail loop from the Oak Creek parking lot of the
McDonald Forest. It's about 1.5 miles of relatively flat terrain (I
truly believe my kids end up doing an extra mile with all the
zig-zagging and back tracking they do, though), and ends with a
bridge perfect for throwing Pooh sticks.
Here they are, soaking wet and having a blast:
If the winter weather has you and your kids down, make the extra
effort to get out and get some exercise. What is your
family's favorite way to get exercise in the winter?