Slow Hike

Took the boys on a hike today at the new Enterprise South Nature Park after ensuring Rowan didn't have strep or the flu. We had a fast lunch in the parking lot before starting.

Things didn't begin so smoothly. Jack insisted that he shouldn't have to carry our backpack with water because his back was not totally healed. He sulked until I finally (wrongly) lost my temper and said it was fine to let his 7 months pregnant mother carry it.

He immediately felt guilty and begged for me to give it back, which I refused. His attitude completely turned around.

They played in a mostly dry creek bed and all found walking sticks. Poor Rowan's kept snapping in half, because of his strength I told him.

They crossed this cool tree over the creek bed.

They found sticks to turn into daggers and went repeatedly through these disgusting drainage ditches which Finn said had sewer in them because the water had bubbles in it. Bec called them "Time Tunnels" from his favorite show Dinosaur Train.

After we got home, the three older boys got their pocket knives (this was Andy's doing) and sat in the front yard carving their sticks into daggers.

We turned around after half a mile because Bec was tired.

Other than losing my tongue a little with Jack at the beginning, I was actually pretty proud of myself. I found myself not hurrying them or trying to get the to stay on the trail. I was relaxed. They had fun.

Not hurrying through things is a biggie for me to work on. We go-go-go all the time and I swear, when we don't, everybody is happier.

This is a picture of my pee in the parking lot before we started hiking. I was beside the driver's side door. Bec found me. Told me that the pee was on my foot (which it was) and that it "wooked like a Trismis Tree" (which, honestly, if you use your imagination like a three year old would, quite resembles a Trismis Tree).