Trackers for Quackers

There were three of them ...

-- toddlers chasing the ducks and geese at our local park, that is --  and having a jolly good time!  I can vouch for the fact the toddlers were having fun.  The ducks, however, were waddling as fast as they could to escape!

It was a precious sight and brought back fond memories of taking our three children to feed the ducks at a park in Kentucky.  Our three year old son would always remind us to take "trackers for da dutz."  So I'd pack a stash of crackers and let the children toss them while we watched the ducks swim, dip and dive.

The Lord did a good thing designing these birds.  They are not only beautiful, they instill a certain peace in our hearts if we take time to slow down and just watch them awhile.  Dip, dive, float.  In the water, a duck or a goose  is as graceful as any swan. 

Out of the water, however, they're a bit more awkward but still fast enough to outrun toddlers!  Watching them y was like a mini- mental vacation -- an enjoyable few moments of light-hearted fun I needed on that particular day.  It was the sight and sound of children giggling, squealing and darting after those honking geese and quacking ducks made me smile.  And when I smiled, my heart felt distinctly lighter. 

That day  I also took several pix of those sweet children and asked their daddies if they'd like for me to email copies to them.  One of them said, "Thanks, but we come here to feed the ducks every week and have hundreds of photos of that already."  (I bet his wife would have taken me up on my offer).  
How good it was to see dads doing something fun with their little ones on a pretty spring day.  Children learn a lot as they play, and if we don't get in on the fun, we miss those opportunities to connect with them and share the answers to some of life's big questions ... such as why geese and ducks waddle when they run.  So -- kudos to you dads I met at the park that day!  Thanks for taking time to buckle your kiddos in their car seats and head to the park for a bit of  fun in the sun.

  
SPRING ... it's the flowering before the fruit and a whisper of cool breezes before summer's stifling heat.  It's also a perfect time to go on an outing with your kiddos!

So grab a sun hat and sunscreen, sunglasses, a thermos of water and a simple picnic lunch.  Head for the local park or zoo for a few hours and check out the ducks and geese.  And whatever you do, take some Trackers for the Quackers!