Los Angeles Arboretum

When I was little, my sister and I used to explore the forest in our Virginia backyard. We would go hunting for turtles, jump across the creek, and climb the trees. When we moved to California, we lost our rugged backyard and we both became outdoor wimps. I don't anticipate our family to move to the sticks anytime soon, but it doesn't seem fair that Tyler and Dylan's only exposure to ducks, turtles, and lizards will exist solely in the pages of their books. So, I finally purchased a membership to the Arboretum. I resolve to not let my boys grow up being afraid to get their hands a little dirty!

I think this mentality is starting to pay off. Just yesterday, Tyler and I were outside admiring the flowers in our front yard. Tyler thought it was the coolest thing to see a caterpillar eating a leaf just like the one from his book. I had to put on a brave face and pretend like I was not freaked out by the 1 inch insect. He immediately picked it up to admire its segmented body. Although inside I was panicking at the thought of him throwing it's 8 legs in my direction, I was also so proud of his bravery!

Here are some pictures from our last visit to the Arboretum: