Hey, hi, and hello

Hello! Oh God, I suck at introductions. My name is Mary and I'm a mom to a 7 year old kiddo named Liam. My husband's name is Jon and he's a chemist (currently unemployed, but not for long). I run a lapidary business and I'm a writer -- horror stories and children's poems/stories. What a combination! We hike constantly, setting new goals for mileage and elevation gain, pushing ourselves a bit more each year. We do some home science experiments (kaboom!) and I get to play with rocks for a living (win!). We are all about the website DIY and Liam earned his first patch as a Lego Master. We're total nerds: Liam's favorite movie is Star Wars and I collect ancient coins. We're strange, crazy, but we have fun and that's what counts. 

The purpose of this blog is to:

1. Share activities that we find fun as a family

2. Explore budget-friendly family entertainment 

3. Delve into sensory exploration (Liam has Asperger's) 

4. Write a bit about our daily life

The name of this blog comes from a conversation I had with another mother. With an air of superiority, she told me that she didn't want her child to hike and become too adventurous (hint: like Liam). 

I was stunned. Too adventurous? There's no such thing in my book! Childhood is messy, chaotic, and full of exploration and adventure. I'm of the mindset that discovery and wonder are the best parts of being a kid. It's when we grow into adults that the shine of the world begins to wear off. Of course parenting comes in many flavors and I don't want to shame anyone for their style, but it made me wonder if I'm weird for letting my child run wild and free out on the trail. But no... I knew I wasn't alone in my approach. 

I named this blog "Unapologetically Adventurous" because that's what we are. Maybe someone somewhere will see this and say "aha! Me too." Instead of adhering to rigid, time-fixed schedules, we spend each day exploring something new with him, going at his pace. Maybe it's one thing or maybe several things that tie in with one another. I love to look at his face and see the neurons firing as he learns something new. I love to see him skipping along the trail, stopping to inspect something that we as adults would rush right past. 

Are we the perfect family? Hell no! Far from it. We have our moments of frustration just like anyone. But if you relate to this version of parenting, this blog might be for you. 

Thanks for checking us out! 

Mary