"Ca-Caw! Ca-Caw!"

It's April 26 and I can't help but wonder when the heck it's going to warm up.
When the sun is out and it's not frigid
I never see Tristyn.
She is finally old enough to ride her bike down the block.
She even crosses the street in front of the house with a watchful eye.
She has made friends like Jacob and Vivian who live next to Josephine.
She even talks to the older girl who lives down the block and can ride a two-wheeler.

The other day she came home and said she met two little girls
She asked to ride her bike around the block with them.
One girl was 5 and the other was 7 so I wasn't too worried.
I said OK...I have to cut the cord sometime.
Two minutes later the doorbell rang and it was the 5 year old.
She said, "Don't worry ma'am, we'll protect your kid from the streets."
She made it sound like we lived in the ghetto!
She meant that she would help her cross the street if they needed to.

After about 40 minutes Tristyn finally returned home.
She was so happy and proud of herself for making friends.
When I took off her coat I noticed she had dirt all over her arm.

Here is the conversation that took place after that...
M: Why do you have dirt all over your arm?
T: Oh...I fell up a hill.

I think to myself...where in the heck is there a hill?

M: I thought you were going on a bike ride?
T: Well...we did, but we went to the park to play.
M: But...you were supposed to be riding your bike.
    What if I needed to find you?
    How would I know you were at the park?
T: Well you would walk by and see our pink bikes.
M: But where did the dirt come from?
T: We went on the tracks in the forest. And I fell up a hill.
M: WHAT?
     How would I know you were in the forest?!
T: Well you would see our bikes and then follow the girl tracks.
M: What if you got hurt in the forest?
     How would I know you were hurt or where to find you?
T: I would stay still and call out to you, "Ca-Caw! Ca-Caw!" and then you will come get me.
M: WHAT?!?!?!
     NO...you are not to go in the forest without me ever again! You could get hurt or lost!
     And on and on and on....

I think she got my drift.
Until we were discussing the situation again at grandma's house.
When I told her again that I didn't want her going in there she said to me,
"Well...if I go in there and then don't tell you about it...then you won't know!"

This is going to be a long journey raising this child.