Talking is fundamental

Funny how being 1500’ elevation allows the brain to think. Well that and 7 hours of hiking, with an hour of decent still left. Quiet kids, God’s handmade country side surrounding you. Yeah, reflection just seems like the right thing to do. In order to change it up from my previous wordy posts (can’t help it. I think I don’t get to talk to grownups enough), I have a new idea. A list.
-The best things to be seen are often the simpliest. Red backed, red legged daddy long legs style spiders
-Waterfalls are very cold even in the heat of summer
-2.7 mile hike labeled moderate difficulty is NOT necessarily easy, especially for a momma with a nearly 30 lbs baby strapped to her back for 8 hours
-Said Momma is a super hero to all who pass her, hearing that’s quite a load, and you haven’t really carried her the whole way. Or my favorite, “Honey you should take a picture of her cause I will never do that!”
-#3 son can narrate the entire journey leading the pack both directions with the a level of knowledge even a ranger would admire
-Not all people dress appropriately when hiking including flip flops, and my own children will ignore my provision of socks with tennis shoes
-Said children pay for their ignorance and cause repeated stops and drama on decent when blisters become painful and I will use the momma knows best line to its fullest, while helping him cope
-When people say your almost there they are LYING!
-After 7 hours of hiking, 4 children ages 10, 7, 5 almost 6 and 2 will never complain UNTIL the last hour of the hike and will all but fall apart
-Said complaining children will begin to wobble, and weebles wobble and they do fall down
-A potty trained 2 year old while wearing a pull up and being carried willl soak it to the point it goes through the hiking backpack and onto your clothes
-Swimwear is in fact and excellent choice this time of year especially if it comes in the form of shorts and a tank top. Most importantly when you are sweaty and then get peed on.
-G-ma can make a suggestion to #3 on collecting something different than #1 which will cause him to gather a pocket full of acorns (taking away nature which is a no no but too sweet to ban)
-#1 will decide he will never join the army because he in fact will never hike like this again, and when you go to war you just die
-#2 will stop and complain on multiple occasions that her foot (as though not attached) keeps kicking her leg, providing proof in the form of red mark
-Daddy can be a hero too by rescuing said daughter who fell and twisted her ankle, making her very best effort to go on but tearing up and needing to be carried the last 30 minutes
-Vacation with younger children is not about relaxing but about learning to live together and survive far away from the distraction of this world. A challenging, not always perfect thing that imprints memories for a lifetime beyond.

Ok so not quite shorter than any other posts but way more fun to write this late evening/early morning. Thanks for sharing in my journey with my 4 and no more!