14 frogs, chipmunks, and a train engine

Saturday morning was opening day for the softball league that Rebecca plays for. She did not have a game that day, but did have to be there for opening ceremony. After she came home, I suggested that we take the kids to the Kokosing Gap Trail near Kenyon College and take a family walk. 

We walked the paved trail and saw several birds and butterflies. 

We went down through some of the Brown Family Environmental Center trails. As we were crossing through a stretch near the bridge, I heard something large stepping in the forest area. I pulled Ben behind me, so that if it was an animal coming out it would see me first. Turns out it was 2 deer that we had startled and they were running the other way away from us. Scared me though!

We stopped off at the main center and explored a little. We found a pond and the kids counted 12 frogs, one chipmunk, more tadpoles than they could count and several fish. We then found another pond, where they counted 2 more frogs. The kids LOVED seeing all the frogs! 

After we left the Environmental Center, we walked back on the trail to near where we had parked. There is an old train engine there that you can climb on. Rebecca has climbed it before, but Jacob was too scared last time to climb up it by himself. This time he did it all by himself! He was so proud of himself. I even climbed up on it with the kids! 

After we left, we decided to stop and get lunch. It started raining just a bit while we were eating. Then we headed home. After lunch, we just hung out at home until later that afternoon, when my brother stopped by to surprise me with a Mother's Day gift...