Every weekday morning around 7:30 I sit outside with my daughter to wait for the school bus. I bring my little folding stool and we walk to the end of the block, then sit and wait for 10-15 mins. We always arrive early (unless we are running late) because I really enjoy these moments, it's an opportunity for us to just sit together with no screens or household distractions.

If it's rainy we wear rainboots and splash in every puddle on the way. Sometimes we get to see the remnants of a pretty sunrise. Neighborhood wildlife we might encounter include crows, squirrels, cats, bugs, worms, and dogs walking with their humans. I might bring my trash grabber and a small bag to clean up the street as we walk.

Crystal sits in my lap and we play different games. Her favorite is the surprise game, where I surprise her by suddenly bouncing my legs up high or pulling them out from under her. She tries to guess when it might happen, sometimes I follow a pattern, and activate the surprise if I hear a certain sound.

My lap can transform into a car, with arms wrapping around as a seatbelt. Then I take her on a magical journey wherever she wants to go. She has to watch out for traffic lights, running out of gas, or sudden transformation into an airplane, submarine, horse or other mode of transportation that makes the ride even more crazy.

The latest thing we have been entertained by is the game What's in my Pocket? Since it started getting chilly I have been sticking my hands in Crystal's coat pockets to keep them warm, and discovered she keeps a variety of interesting things in her pockets. I have to guess what they are by touch, and sometimes I get sneaky and move things from one pocket to the other, or put in a pinceone or pebble from the ground.

Today we had fun taking silly pictures of what's in Crystal's pocket.