 A long time ago, my ritual with my kids was to go on walks with them. It was a daily thing, and it was always great time together. We didn't have a TV, and it served as our entertainment for the evening - which was always a hoot. I know that Bari, Nick, and Aaron remember it fondly. When Austin and Jacob came along, we lived in the country, and while occasionally we would go for walks, it wasn't a ritual. Then, upon moving to Des Moines, it became even more sporadic and eventually stopped. Jacob suggested that we walk to the ice cream store a half mile from here, so we did, and it's something we plan to do every two weeks when they're spending the weekend with me. Not only was the walk wonderful, but the ice cream was delicious on this muggy day. And, it gives me an opportunity to take pictures like this.  Tomorrow, another ritual: Sunday morning chocolate chip pancakes. | 
