On our hike to Pancake Rocks, or any hike for that matter, Dude and Princess always look for walking sticks. Conversation with Dude on the way down . . .
Dude: These really are some cool walking sticks I found this time.
Me: Yes, they are. They worked well today.
D: Yup. And this one - it’s got like little things on the top so if I broke my leg or something I could use it like a crutch.
M: Ya - that is pretty cool.
D: And this one, it has that cool pokey end on it, so if a mountain lion or a bear came to attack us I could just stab it with my sharp stick and it would run away and we could run down the mountain.
M: Yup. That sounds like a good plan, too.
D: Man, it sure would be nice to have sticks like this every time I go hiking.
Pause . . . pause . . . pause . . .
D: Yup. These walking sticks sure are really cool. It would be a bummer to have to drop them on the trail somewhere.
Pause . . . pause . . . pause . . .
D: Um, Mommy? I was trying to get you to say that I could bring them home. So can I?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Of course I said Yes after he went through all that trouble 
Great mind to think of using them as a crutch. He is so interesting. You are building such quality time, that is uninterruped by TV, etc.
My mom and I always went out to our cabin, where she worked in her garden and we always picked up a treat and sat and the back steps and talked when she took her break. I learned a lot from our conversations. Non of the other siblings had that opportunity to have so much alone time with her.
You are a great mom.
Sue