Hiking

So this weekend we went hiking, just like I threatened.  We did it a day later than anticipated, Sunday instead of Saturday, but as long as it happened, that's what really matters, right?

Okay, so this is Turtle Rock.  You see that small-looking rock formation at the very top?  That's it.  It looks like a turtle, apparently.  I couldn't see it, but who am I to argue?

Jubee took off running first thing.  I tried to convince her to conserve her energy, but she didn't listen.  Typical.

Here she is, playing on the rocks.  I tried to take some pictures of Sammy, but he was so excited and running so much, they all came out fuzzy.

That is, he was too fast until he asked if he could hold our lunchbag.  Well, who am I to argue with my little gentleman?

As you can see, Jubee wore out very quickly.  This is only after mile 1, and she's already being carried.  Someone should've warned me this is a bad sign.

Sammy was still pretty energetic, though.  See, so fast, he's a blur.

Someone also should've told me that a hike winds up being a lot longer if you stop and look at every body of water.  See Sammy holding Jubee's hand to make sure she doesn't jump in the water?

Cam kept saying, "stop trying to take pictures of me!" but I snuck this one in. I like his pensive look here.

Also, a hike is a lot longer if you have to stop and climb every rock.

We had Sam take this picture of us together, since we don't have a lot of pictures just the two of us.  Yeah, I know my chin is horribly broken out.  How does that happen anyway?

This was about 2 miles in, also about when we ran out of water.  I wasn't worried, because the internet said the trail was only 3 miles long.

So, we kept climbing rocks.  And picked flowers.

And we enjoyed an amazing view.

A little after mile 3, when we thought we were about done, we ran into this patch of snow.  It was 70 degrees outside, but this was shaded enough it hadn't melted yet.  We had a snowball fight in our shorts and t-shirts.  Cam was so thirsty from carrying Jubee for the last two hours, he scraped off the dirt and ate some of the snow.

 Sensing our trek was nearly at an end, we set out again, energized and happy.  Cam and I were taking turns carrying the backpack and Jubee and even occasionally Sam, who apparently has a 3 mile limit.  What a kid, am I right?

...aaaand...a mile later there was still no end in sight.

Jubee was getting very sleepy, and both of the tots required holding most of the time, which means we stopped quite a bit.

We found out later that from where we parked, it was a 5.5 mile hike, not a 3 mile one.  It wound up taking us just shy of 4 hours.  That's just a bit too much for toddlers, I've decided.  At least, next time, we'll bring enough water.  And sunscreen.  The tots are okay, but Cam and I look like overcooked lobsters again.

Sick

The only problem with being a stay-at-home-mom is that you can't call in sick, whether you're faking or not.

I sure could use a sick day, too.  I got that stomach bug that Cam and Jubee had last week (does it really take a full week to incubate?).  I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say, it's been rough.

After lunch I talked Sammy into taking a nap with me, but he poked me in the eye for 20 minutes until I turned around, and then he kicked my ribs for another hour until I gave up.

The only reason I've survived today is that we got cable last week, and the kids can watch Disney Jr.  Suddenly, a decision that I made very reluctantly seems like the most brilliant thing I've ever done.

The biggest problem with being sick all day isn't actually the illness, anyway, it is the guilt associated with letting your kids watch tv all day, exacerbated by the emotion of the illness.

In other news, my kids have decided that they are puppies.  Very energetic puppies.

So, until Monday, I'll leave you with these pictures of better days, days that didn't involve vomit and a sink full of dishes and 100 episodes of Timmy Time, days like yesterday.

Weekend Plans

Yes, I know it's only Thursday, but I'm already making plans for the weekend.  I hate to leave something like "The Weekend" up to chance, you know?

Saturday is going to be 65 and sunny.  It's going to be amazing...we're going for a hike.

This is Turtle Rock.  It's a 3-4 mile hike, less than 20 miles from here.  I'm going to pack a picnic lunch, a thermos full of coffee, and we're going to have a dang good time.  My guess is, it won't be snowy there at 65 degrees and sunny, but it's supposed to still be amazing.  We're gonna take it slow and try to make a day of it.

Another thing on the agenda is house hunting.  This apartment we are in is huge, and kind of fun, but there just something I can't stand about the carpeted baseboards and carpet in the bathrooms.  It just seems unsanitary, am I right?

Plus, there's something nerve-wracking about having two very noisy and stomping toddlers on the top floor of an apartment building.  Also, we pay about $300 more a month for this place than we should, IMHO.  Our lease is up in less than 6 weeks, so the hunt is on!  We can't buy right now, we are just looking to rent...but we are coming up on a great season, when the college students leave and all the leases run out (not necessarily in that order).

I also realized something important about myself in all this: my requirements for a home to buy and my requirements for a home to rent are totally different.  If I'm buying I want something cool and older, full of quirks and character and things to tweak.  If I'm renting, I want something boring and clean and neutral (because obnoxious colors that other people pick out are never the obnoxious colors that I'd pick out).  I would love to buy a home like the apartment we are in now, but I don't like it as a temporary living situation, not one bit.

So, does anyone have any awesome weekend plans to inspire me, or make me super jealous?