Nature Trail

Today, we spent the afternoon at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville. It was a perfect afternoon! Low 60's, big blue skies, colorful leaves all around us, and two happy little peanuts. 

Ijams has several nature trails - some take you to hidden ponds, others to a boarkwalk above the lake, and a few others that I've yet to explore. 

Sam and Charlie had a great time on their adventure. 

For quite some time, I've been wanting to play around with photographs on railroad tracks - but have a small fear of being caught up in the moment and getting flattened by a train. 

I was happy to see this old set of tracks that we could play around on.

Still have much to learn about getting great shots on a set of tracks, but I was content with my debut (especially since I felt a little pressure with Mr. Hatcher patiently waiting for me in the car at this point)

Sam and Charlie love love love collecting giant leaves (and then crumbling them in our vehicles, which we LOVE too!)

Charlie said, "Mommy, take my picture like thith" 

So I did.

And I love it.

And I love thith one too...

…and thith

And here, a picture of my handsome boys overlooking the water

To top off the whole adventure, my sweet Charlie, who has an unbelievable fear of going #2 on the potty (to the point he screams bloody murder and refuses to do it - and holds it for days on end creating all kinds of other problems, ultimately resulting in us throwing our hands up and allowing him to come to us when he needs to go #2 to ask for a diaper, at which time he does his business, and then we are blessed with the joy of getting to change the poopy diaper of a 3 and 3/4 year old)… Anyway, back to the nature trail… Charlie had to go #2 while we were there. 

We had no diapers. 

He tried and tried to hold it. 

We encouraged him to drop his drawers and do it in the woods. 

After much screaming, encouragement, pants up and down three times, and me nearly forcing him, I held his upper body while he squatted and actually went #2 WITHOUT A DIAPER! I couldn't believe he did it!
This may not sound like progress to you. But when you've been through the experience we've been through with this, I can't tell you how amazed I was that he actually did this. It has become very obvious to me that his issue is that he is terrified of it falling out of him - so the diaper provides him that security. Even though I have no intention of allowing my child to do his business like a dog outside of our house - I was thrilled to see him battle through the fear of it falling out. I do believe this is progress, and I have some faith the potty is no longer a distant dream for us!
This is Charlie just after his great accomplishment!

He was one proud pooper!

A super, silly, successful day indeed for the Hatcher family!