“Hiking’s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty.” ― Sonja Yoerg

Kev and I aren’t really big fans of hiking, mainly because I have a tendency to feel crappy in the heat. As a result, our kids don’t have a lot of experience with stuff like that. So when Nathan’s scout troop planned a campout where they had to hike up to the camping spot and pack all their gear in, he really had no idea what he was getting in to. Nevertheless, we helped him gather up everything he would need and sent him on his way yesterday afternoon. When he arrived home around lunch time today, he told us that it didn’t go so well. His troop leader had never hiked that particular location before and while the hike was not long (only about a mile and a half), it was steep. Really steep. Which made things much, much harder. And with his inexperience, it was even harder for Nathan. It took him longer than the other boys to complete the hike and once he got to the top he spent the evening throwing up from heat and exertion. So definitely not his most enjoyable campout.

To his credit, once he got showered, ate something and started to feel better, he was able to laugh about it. I think being able to chuckle at his own crazy life is an awesome skill. And to be able to laugh so soon afterward is pretty amazing. (It always takes me way longer…I’m still not to the point where I can laugh about having the cops show up at our house after Matthew’s birthday party.) I think that it was a valuable experience for him. It allowed him to do something he has never done before, prove to himself that he can complete something hard (in spite of the unpleasant after effects), and learn that even tough things can be managed with laughter. In my opinion, that made it a successful trip for him…and because he was out in the wild no one had to clean up the vomit.

Wet and Wild

After last summer’s water play improvisations, I decided I’d better pick up a kiddie pool for the kiddies. I chose a small one that would fit on our patio since our grass is struggling enough as it is and doesn’t need a pool sitting on it killing it even more. Malia was super excited to fill it up, requested cups and bath toys and jumped right in. Matthew was also pleased with the addition to the yard. When he got home from school and saw Malia basking in the water, he didn’t even bother to come in the house, change his clothes or take off his shoes before he took the plunge. He did take his shoes off eventually, but they were already completely soaked. He and Malia are both happy.

Just Plane Fun

Four years ago Kevin took the boys to see one of only a handful of B-17’s that are still flying. One of those few remaining planes was in our area again this year and they were not about to miss a chance to see it again. Daniel had a parade this morning, so after he was done Kevin took all the kids to see the plane. You might think that Malia would be happier doing something else, but you would be wrong. She is just as into airplanes as the boys. (When the blackhawks from the nearby base fly over our house, she can identify them by the sound.) Really the only difference between her zeal and that of the boys is that they are not inclined to cry when it is time to get out of the airplane. Malia, on the other hand, shed real tears when it was time to climb down.

As for me, I spent a quiet afternoon at home. I went to an airshow once and it was one of only a handful of times that I’ve gotten sunburned. Add to that the rockin’ migraine that accompanies the heat and I’m much happier in my air conditioned abode. And the extra bonus is that it was quiet…which really doesn’t happen all that often.

One Last Round of Birthday Cheer

Because Nathan’s birthday fell in between two of our every other week family dinners, we didn’t celebrate his birthday with my family until today. He opted to stick with the music theme and his cake was the first three notes of the Moonlight Sonata. I probably would have just picked some random notes, but he wanted it to be an actual song. He picked up the piping bag again to do the dots around the bottom of the cake after I did the top at his request. Once again, an easy decorating job. And only two colors of frosting. And only one of those needed to be tinted. And (most importantly) Nathan loved the way it turned out.