Geocaching again

HOLY COW the Simi Hills are gorgeous right now.

We went geocaching again today. We found the one that we actually actively went after, and did our first cache trade. Ben picked out a lovely golf ball for us, and we left behind a McDonald's Happy Meal toy I found hanging out in our car. Treasure indeed!

But the best part was when we headed up to the head of the Chumash trail. There are quite a few caches up in the hills around Simi, but we're not rugged enough to take the kiddies hiking on a cold wet evening. The hills looked so pretty, though, that we did decide just to get out of the car and walk up a paved road for a bit, just to look around.

Soooooooo pretty. The grass is tall, the crickets were chirping away (as were some birds), and wildflowers all over the place. Just stunning. I actually managed to get the kids quiet for about one minute so we could just listen to the sounds of nature. I think that may have been just the most perfectest part of the day. (Yep, perfectest. Deal with it.) It made up for having come home this morning to Joshua covered in green marker.

And for last Sunday(?) when he poured salsa on my couch.

And for Monday when he dumped the gallon of bubbles and all our shoes into the kitchen, then drew on the wall with marker while I finished mopping.

And for Tuesday when he had a secret breakfast of about a dozen DumDum lollipops before we woke up, and left sticky sticks, wrappers, and lollipop detritus on my couch. And drew on the wall some more.

And for Wednesday when he did whatever it was that I am apparently blocking, no doubt in an effort at self-preservation.

Thursday we kept him too busy for mischief by taking the kids to Disneyland, and Friday he was just too pooped from Thursday to get into too much trouble.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....

Anyway, I still heartily endorse geocaching. Neat way to get to see the world around you from different perspectives.

And a good way to keep mischievous kids out of the house.