going on a hike

I really wish this was a post about a lovely hike that we took with the Wassermans, and it is, but it isn't. This is also a post about how I lost it in the mountains, had to convince (bribe) naked Avery, who was having a blast, out of the creek and how I hysterically cried all the way back to Denver. 

The week leading up to the hike had been very stressful with work, caring for an injured Scott and feeling like I was responsible for every single aspect of keeping my family functioning. It is very hard to have a helpful spouse be out of commission for a month, and by the time this hike rolled around my resolve was beginning to waiver. It seemed like a good idea to get the kids out of the house so that Scott could sleep, but I might have been overly ambitious. 

You see, taking two small people on a hike requires a lot of work and patience in the best circumstances. Add one already frazzled mom and a daughter who is terrified of dogs and it's a recipe for disaster. Vivienne was a mess. She's not very adventurous to begin with, but put her in the woods with dozens and dozens of families who all have dogs and you end up with someone on the verge of panic at all times. She whined incessantly and by the time we found a picnic site, I knew all of what little patience I had with her fear was gone.

I just couldn't do it anymore. I knew we had to leave. Avery however, was having the time of his life and by the time I decided I needed to head home, he was happily frolicking naked in the stream. Not wanting to add another crying person to the mix, I called him over and promised if he left without fuss I would let him play Wii immediately when we got home. There are a few good things about having a son obsessed with Mario Cart. He was such a good boy, got dressed and walked all the way back to our car which was parked a significant distance past the parking lot, UP a steep hill.

I gave the kids their lunch and proceeded to let it all out. All of the stress that had building up, came out as we came down the mountain. The kids were quiet the entire way home but I did have enough where with all to explain that it wasn't their fault, just that mommy had stress and sometimes I needed to cry to let it out. They didn't seem too affected by my outburst which is funny because I remember being very affected and upset when I saw my mom cry as a kid. They were fine with their peaner jelly sandwiches and listening to their favorite songs on the Chiddy Band CD.

Even though my meltdown was terribly melodramatic, I felt much better afterward. Sometimes you need a good cry and sometimes you need a hike in the woods...just not on the same day.