To make up for our scrubbed sledding adventure, we scheduled another attempt a few weeks later. This time the weather cooperated and we were able to meet up with friends in Hyak.
Most of the kids wasted no time grabbing a sled and flying down the hill. Since we went on a Friday, the slopes were mostly empty. Hurrah!
It was quite a hike back up, but they didn't seem to mind. Graham hung with the big girls for most of the trip. I was impressed with his bravery and fortitude.
Thane was pickier about which sled he used, so he had to find other ways to stay occupied.
Right after we arrived, I put Nellie in front of me on a sled and we took off down the hill. Halfway down we crashed and rolled pretty spectacularly. Neither of us were hurt, but Nellie was not a happy camper.
After a lot of cajoling, I convinced her to try going down the hill once more, this time with Bryce who had successfully navigated the course numerous times by this point. They also crashed. After that, Nell was 110% done. She clung to my leg demanding to "go home now!"
Finally, we trudged back to the van to grab a chair where she could sit and feel safe and secure. That was better, but she still wasn't pleased.
Bryce and his buddies sledded for a while, then wandered off to explore other areas.
They found a small snow tunnel and worked to make it big enough that they could slide through.
After lunch (our wise and experienced friends brought a tarp on which we could sit and eat), Nellie's mood brightened a bit. As her mood brightened, the weather diminished. It started to snow soft, hail-like pebbles that reminded us of Dippin' Dots. Nellie must have agreed with that assessment, because she found great delight in eating handfuls of the balls.
It was one of those days that makes homeschooling feel totally worth all the sacrifices.
The next day dawned bright, beautiful, and WARM! We knew we couldn't waste such a perfect day inside, so we arranged with friends to meet up for our first hike of the season. We tried out some new trails and the kids were thrilled to discover new playgrounds. We had to peel them away in order to get hiking.
Considering that it's been a while since we've hiked, the kids did a pretty great job of maintaining positive attitudes. It definitely helped that we were with friends.
Nellie is at a rough stage where she's too big to easily be carried, but too small to walk the whole way. So, she rotated up and down according to her whims. Thankfully Mark was there to do a lot of the carrying.
The kids were rewarded at the end of the hike with a bit more park time. We love the sun!
We spent the rest of the day working outside in our front yard. We got a lot done, but still have a ways to go. We even managed to wash our cars! I won't admit publicly how long it's been since my van last had a bath. Ha! Bring on spring!
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