this time of year is fantastic. everything is so green and grow-y.  jane even climbed in to some stingy nettles to check a geocache for travelbugs.  there were none.

earlier in the day we went ice skating with friends.  i noted that ice skating is like a mini-example of parenting:

* you start by pretty much carrying your kids round the rink
* then they trust you and you go round hand in hand
* after a number of exhausting laps you start to let go
* eventually they go free and start zooming round on their own much faster than you do
* and finally, you fall over in a very dramatic way, and they laugh their heads off.

mmm