Big Soddy Gulf Picnic

This was our second visit to Big Soddy Gulf to go swimming and we had another great day. The water was chilly, but the kids didn't seem to mind!

I think the highlights for the kids was finding a black snake sunning on the rocks (one of the girls really wanted to pick it up, but we steered the kids away), and feeding the fish with food from their lunches. The kids discovered that the fish really liked chips, but didn't come up for carrots!

Our group of friends that we meet with on Fridays has been expanding and we always seem to meet up with a slightly different group of people (we are the one constant that ALWAYS does Friday outings).

Anyways, I love when we are able to take friends who might not be as confidant going on a hike. It's a treat to do an easy hike and let the kids run a little wild in the great outdoors. It's one of my favorite ways to spend a sunny day.

Check back on Fridays to see our weekly outings.
If you're following along, here are our previous Friend Friday adventures this school year: August: Coolidge Park
September: Creative Discovery Museum ⎮ Greenway Farms Picnic ⎮ Chattanooga Zoo

Friend Friday at the Chattanooga Zoo

It's Friday, so we met up with friends. This week we went to our local zoo. The kids enjoyed running around with their friends, checking out the Apes, the Lemurs, and also the petting zoo. Our local zoo is small, but we always enjoy our visits here.

If you're following along, here are our previous Friend Friday adventures:
August: Coolidge Park
September: Creative Discovery Museum ⎮ Greenway Farms Picnic

Exploring Nature with Kids: Green Gorge, Althaus Park, and Mabbit Springs

Five Senses Nature Hike: ways we can experience the world around us
Location: Green Gorge Trail

One of my favorite studies we are doing this year is Exploring Nature with Children by Raising Little Shoots. This is a year-long curriculum that centers on exploring the natural world through weekly nature hikes.

Each week you are prompted to focus on a particular part of nature. The study includes a hike recommendation, supplemental book suggestions, a work of art and a poem that relate to the week's topic, and also additional activities to do as a part of the study.

We have completed three weeks of this curriculum including a Five Senses Nature Hike, a study on seed pods, and a Mini-Beast Hunt we did today where we searched for insects. Jack and I use Thursdays as our day to complete this study. Isaac is at preschool and this is something special for just the two of us to do.

Seed Pod Study: How do plants reproduce?
Location: Local Park

We have yet to complete every activity in each week of the study, but we have hiked, read the weekly poem, and worked on a Nature Journal entry. I am loving this study and opportunity to spend time one-on-one with Jack.

Mini Beast Hunt: We searched for insects and found mostly cobwebs,
and a downed tree that we determined had been struck by lightening.
Location:  Mabbit Springs Trail

I also purchased the book Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman to go along with this nature study, and it has been a great companion book to have on our hikes. We always use it as a reference during our study and it has been great inspiration for nature journaling, as well as providing extra nuggets of information. It has quickly become one of my favorite books.

Exploring Nature with Children is an eBook that you can purchase for $15.00, an excellent value for a year-long study.

Nature of Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World can be purchased on Amazon for $12.80, also an excellent value and great supplemental resource.

Injury while hiking to Mushroom Rock

Photos of injury in second half of post. Just scrapes and bruising, but you've been warned!

We decided to go on a family hike to Mushroom Rock. It's a hike we have done numerous times. Often with me carrying Isaac.

I have been having some hip and back issues all summer, so we decided that Daniel would be in charge of Isaac on this hike.

So I walked ahead with Jack. I was in the process of telling Jack to slow down on a steep section of trail next to a drainage ditch when the end of my sandal (I was hiking in Chacos) caught some loose gravel and turned under my foot.

I didn't want to pitch forward and tumble down the hill on my face or land on top of Jack, so I leaned back. This meant I slid on gravel for several feet with my foot tucked under my leg.

I'm not sure how to explain it except that my toes were underneath me, touching the back of my calf.
Stop reading here if you don't want to see my injury...

It wasn't pretty. And it hurt. A lot.

Jack stopped and was worried about me. Daniel and Isaac hurried to check on me.

Did I mention that it really hurt?

When I had caught my breath, Daniel helped me to stand. Thankfully I was able to stand and put weight on it. But it really hurt.

Day 2

Daniel found me a stick to help me walk and we headed back to the car.

Day 2 at Walk-In Clinic

Jack was really upset that we had to cut our hike short. So we explained the life lesson that there are times that you have to turn back for the weakest part of the group. At almost-six he doesn't understand or agree with this lesson.

Day 3

It took me about an hour to walk the less than half a mile back to the car. I was really hurting.

Day 5

I made it to the car and Daniel helped me get in. My foot and leg were scraped pretty badly and already swollen and bruising.

Day 9

I didn't think anything was broken, so we chose not to go to the ER. I iced it all evening and kept having times when the pain made me feel like I was going to throw up. By Sunday morning I was ready to see a doctor.

Day10

Day13

Daniel dropped me at a walk-in clinic on the way to church. I learned that I had bad bruising, most likely a sprained ligament, but no cracks or breaks in the bone. Just need to ice, rest and take pain meds until I feel better.

Day 18

January 2018 Update: I saw a Orthopedic Surgeon about 4 months after the fall (early January) because my ankle still hurts and bruising returns every time I work out or go for a hike. The surgeon didn't really have any useful advice, other than it isn't fully healed yet. Surgery may be an option, but for now I need to use ibuprofen as necessary, ice, salt baths, and look into getting a brace for when I hike...

May 2018, seven months after fall

May 2018 Update: Seven months after this fall, I was still experiencing pain and bruising so I sought out a second opinion. X-rays and then an MRI showed that my leg is structurally sound, but there is still subcutaneous damage (under the skin) and potential nerve issues since I'm still having pain. Next step is to meet with a hip and back specialist to see if pain I've been dealing with since February 2017 is causing the pain in my shin.