Pedal Pushers

I realized today there has been one benefit of this extended vacation that I haven't really touched on yet.
While we've been away I have gotten to spend so much good, quality time with Esme. (I don't mean that to be redundant as I think there can be quality time you intend to be good that instead falls flat on it's face when you rush it, or as I do all too often, raise the expectation of the time higher than anyone could ever meet).

We've gone to tons of parks, walked a million city streets, cuddled our way through lots of movies, bonded for hours on end in the car, and today, finally nearing the end of it all we went on a great and leisurely walk.
I will admit the 36 degree temperature was not helpful to the leisurely aspect of it all but the walk was great anyway.
Esme started out riding her new bike and did a great job pedaling and veering, getting distracted by little kid faces in windows, steering her way back on to the sidewalk. I got to teach her how to navigate down a handicap ramp and pedal her way as fast as she could up the other side. My excellent coaching even earned me a high five after she completed the maneuver.

Sooner rather than later the bike was abandoned for an awesome stick she found and just had to carry.
Through the course of the walk she found five sticks in all. Her sweeping stick (one with pine needles attached), her dipping stick (for dipping in the mud puddles), her pretty stick (a dead bunch of hydrangeas blowing along the sidewalk), and her 3 pokey sticks! (apparently poking is a very important task).
Despite my tingling ears I found myself really enjoying the fact that we had no pressing obligations, there was nothing in the world I needed to do or focus on other than my time with her.
I had so much time to focus just on Esme that we could even name her sticks.

This has truly been my favorite part of this entire vacation and if I take nothing else away I hope this feeling sticks with me. (just caught this in the proofread, no pun intended!) I truly want our times to be one of those things that tingles at the back of my brain saying have you lingered together long enough to name any sticks this week? When was the last time you helped her shake the pine needles and rain on the mud puddle? Have you really concentrated enough to turn some small task (like riding a bike) into a life lesson (like pedaling hard enough on the downhills to carry yourself up the steep parts)?

I think these questions are important for any relationship you want to nurture. So how about you all? When was the last time you lingered with the person you love long enough to count the ants or dance in the fountain? Care to share?