Hike Their Legs Off!

My parents own a cabin in what may be the most beautiful place in the world.  That's just my opinion.  I simply love this place.  And I have completely and shamelessly brainwashed my four children into believing the same exact thing.  I call it "our little heaven on earth," and the kids treat it and talk about it as such.  

The mountains were the perfect place for the four kiddos and my mom to hang out.  But what should we do with all these kids for six days in the mountains?  My mom and I laid out our plans carefully during the winding drive from the coast to the mountains.  While the kids sang along to the new VBS CD they'd already memorized, mom and I whispered ideas and schemes for the mountain vacation.  It was an uncomplicated, but surefire plan.  

Here's the gist of our stealthy plan for how to survive with four under five in the mountains for six days:  RUN THEIR LEGS OFF.  Yep, that's about it.  So every morning, mom and I would shovel tons of carbohydrates and fluids into their little mouths, then we'd set out for the physical adventure for that day.

The plan worked!  The kids ran and hiked and climbed and played all morning, ate a hearty lunch, napped and relaxed in the afternoons, ate dinner, then played and screamed until bath time.  It was genius.  Pure genius.  

Our first activity was hiking. 

Actually, it was water fountaining.  You've never heard of that activity (or that verb)?  It's a highly used term and activity in the Walker household.  Basically, it means playing in the water fountain until the child is soaking wet, crying, or a combination of the two.  On this particular day, water fountaining served to hydrate the big girls, who were much more interested in hiking than the babies.  

So this trail was completely and utterly deserted and super quiet.  For a person very accustomed to noise, the quiet was disconcerting.  Plus, I had heard all the rattle snake warnings from my mom, or Ranger Donna, as I came to think of her.  "It will sound like a sprinkler, April!"  OK, Ranger, so if I hear a sprinkler starting in the middle of the meadow, I'll know some chipmunk isn't watering his lawn.  Got it.

This is the point in the trail where E started whining.  She is always ready to go back right when Cubby is warmed up.   Cubby is a true hiker; she is her father's daughter.  She sets a good pace, walks with her head up, and despises the person that says, "it's time to head back."  Unfortunately, I am always that person.

Cubby fully enjoyed this moment.  What a magical thing it is to watch a child blow and blow and watch the little seeds float away.  

E wanted to pick wildflowers for a bouquet.  But of course, I was too freaked out about some ranger popping out from behind a log to ticket us for disturbing the park to let that happen!  

I love this picture of E and Cubby.  Look at their faces!  OK, let me set this up for you.  We got to a point in the trail where E couldn't stop whining about wanting to go back to hang out with Ranger Donna.  Cubby, however, wanted to keep going.  I was fine either way, so I decided upon the only fair and balanced method for deciding: Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Mo.   Can you tell who won?  Yep, E was victorious, and Cubby was none too thrilled.  She moped just momentarily, but once back on the trail she was happy again.  

By the way, the hike was a big time success, they hiked their legs off, and slept like babies all night.  As for the babies' sleeping...that's another story.