Poohsticks, geese poop and rocks

We haven't been for a walk around the bogs in months and it is finally dry enough and mild enough to head over. We tramped along the path, their favorite, the one next to the their favorite little waterway. This particular one moves pretty quickly and it goes under and through pipes as the path crosses over it. The kids played poohsticks and followed their sticks all the way to the end at the small pool. We saw deer tracks, geese poop and the tiny little prints of racoons that look just like a little hand. We heard a woodpecker and the four of us stood still as statues listening to the rat a tat tat and attempted to pinpoint where it could be. And the rock throwing. My kids have this all consuming passion for throwing rocks over and over into the water. When we finally headed for home Teresa was lagging behind. I stopped to let her catch up and when she did I noticed her arms were full of rocks, big, small and every size in between. She was so weighed down with rocks for her collection she couldn't move without one dropping and when she'd stoop down to retrieve it another would fall which resulted in a standstill. I told her to choose just a few and leave the others behind. This provoked no end of tears but I stood firm, just waiting out the fuss for her to make her decisions. Sam had wandered ahead but hearing all the commotion he turned back and went right over to Teresa. He began picking up her fallen specimens and a few threatening to spill from her arms and carried them all the way home. He did this just to make her happy. My actions nearly spoiled our little expedition. Sam's saved the day...both for his sister and for me.