It takes some work to slow down. It takes practice, patience, letting go, an absence of deadlines and maybe — no, definitely — some deep breathing. Often it requires all of the above.

I am still learning to slow down. I am still learning to remember that there are fabulous things to come from allowing a 3.5-year old child to move at her own pace.

Perhaps more important than slowing down is just to not RUSH her. Especially on “school days”…and remember that we’re talking about preschool.

Hurry, eat your breakfast.

Ok, I am listening but now you need to put on your clothes.

Please put that down and help me brush your teeth.

Yes, I see the new flower and it is beautiful BUT please help me get into the Chariot/car so we can get to school on time. (Why does a 3.5-year old need to be to school on time? Besides that it allegedly allows Mama to work, it is really ridiculous to expect little ones to adhere to such arbitrary schedules.)

Yes, we’re at the park, hurry up and play because we have to leave at XYZ time. (OK, I never have actually said that but I think it more than I would like to admit. Until I remember to slow down. That is…If, and only if, we don’t have a schedule of places to be and things to do.)

Thankfully, summer has arrived and we have even more “non-school” days. So we get to do more of this:

Does this look familiar? You might remember these glorious cottonwoods from posts way back in the day, when “the Little Bean” was growing and we did our two-mile loop religiously….https://onemooreintheoven.com/2011/04/22/waking-and-walking/

It is lovely. Even when it hits 100 degrees, which is way too hot for here.

Look at what we found…and watched, while sitting in the shade and slowing down:

I’ve walked through this park for over 11 years and have always seen the evidence of these little creatures. But it wasn’t until this day, when I sat still, in the shade, watching my daughter play, when I saw this little gopher in action. Pocket gopher, we think.

Here’s a longer video (4 minutes!):  (Geez…I talk way too much! Listen to all those instructions! For what it is worth, this little gopher let us get so close to him and tolerated so much noise and movement that I was thinking he might be a bit ‘off’ and was a wee bit concerned that he might bite. Still, I think I need to chill out with the instructions! Yet another thing to work on.)

Here’s to some slow-down time for all of us.