Don't Go in the Water

Having warned the children that I would rather they didn't go in the creek owing to the fact that I recently disposed of two pairs of sandals just like the ones Bastian was wearing due to too much going into ponds and creeks and puddles and wading pools while wearing them as well as the fact that the entire creek bed was covered in bits of slate (and some bits of glass) and would slice bare feet to bits, they went in anyway, of course.
At first it was just over the rocks, with bits of shoe poking in, but eventually the younger brother followed and that whole idea of staying above the waterflow went to hell.
Then there was much running away despite calling after and me with my head aching anyway from not enough sleep, stood on the creek bank watching and chatting with Anna as our children splashed and waded, deeper and deeper, eventually soaking most of their clothes.

Upon retrieving them, we walked up the path through a meadow, far from the creek and its banks full of poison ivy, along a trail, over a bridge and past old railroad supports that stretched cross the road and peaked through the overgrowth on the other side.
Along the path, the boys spotted a centipede. They threatened to squash it and we warned them not to touch it due to the possibility of bites or stings. Anna explained about the delicate nature of ecosystems and how the centipede needed to be there to eat the things it ate and help keep the other populations of insects and animals and plants in check (though I don't think any of us have any idea what centipedes actually eat).
We reached a field with a picnic area where we sat down for a bit while the boys played with the dogs.
My sons love playing with animals. Aleks periodically asks me to get him a dog or a cat or both. We uh, don't have space/time/energy for a pet at this juncture. So we have to visit the pets of our friends.
Bastian's feet were stained red from playing in the creek. We removed the shoes and set them in the sun for a bit.

Then all the kids played in a water fountain and spigot for a long time, drowning daddy long legs and committing other assorted acts of violence. It was quite a nice break for the moms, however. We sat on a bench and just watched from afar while they ran and made lots of mud.