We hiked to Stewart Falls with some fun friends. It was a long hike, but we made it. There were some tears involved, but the kids were patient with me and kept cheering me on. And hey, it was a legit reason to get a giant-sized, ice-cold Coke Zero on our way home, so in the end it was worth it.
Sometimes I'm amazed at how lucky we are to live near so many beautiful places. The scenery and views were gorgeous! (See Garrett up on the ledge? He wandered up there, sans permission, and he was too close to the falls to hear my screams for him to climb down (carefully) from the slippery waterfall ledge before he broke his neck and I had to carry him the two miles back to the car. )
Hikes are soooo much better when 1) your best friend comes and 2) you wear matching outfits and 3)you have plenty of time to talk about and plan your first-day-of-school-matching-outfits. Plus, we just really love Adi.
Personally, the best part about hikes are the snacks. When else are skittles, starburst, trailmix, granola bars, gummi bears and life savers considered necessary to keep your energy up?
Sam and I named part of the trail "Butterfly Canyon". And let's be honest: a 4 mile RT hike was a little long for Sam, but he walked the whole way. As to the reason for the title of this post, Sam is deathly afraid of bees, and rightly so, having experienced quite a few stings this summer. We saw many bees on this hike, and in order to stop Sam's rising hysteria, I simply told him that "mountain bees don't sting." Really? Really, I lied reassured him. After that, the bees were not a problem for him.
What lies do you tell your children?
I can think of a few whoppers of my own....(all in the name of good parenting, mind you!)
