My Little Tree Hugger

Again with the radio silence! It has become apparent to me that time just goes... and the longer Ian is home, the harder it is to find time to post frequently about things that are not just our day to day living. How much of that I want the general public to read, I haven't decided. As many of my bloggy friends have done recently, I am considering moving our blog to a private status and opening it up to family, friends, and acquaintances...both virtual and IRL (in real life). I haven't completely made up my mind, as I still average about 300 hits a week, but since 200 of those might be from my mother, I can't really tell if Ian and Polli still have a genuine following.

Once I make up my mind, I will give ample warning and opportunity to send my info to stay "on the list".

As for Ian and Polli adventures, we had another plain ol vanilla week...which I consider successful. Not a ton of fanfare, but not much drama either, which I am happy about. I am super busy with a growing workload, becoming more and more involved in hiking groups, and preparing for Shawn's departure to Roatan, Honduras to scuba dive with his brother, Matt. They leave on the 4th and come home on the 12th. That prep is more mental than anything. I will essentially be a single mom for that week and wonder how we'll handle it. I am considering a "soup/salad/breadsticks" type menu for the entire week to make life easier. A couple of big salads and a crockpot of soup and I should be left with only a couple of days that will require cooking. Lord knows Ian would eat soup, noodles, and rice 3 meals a day indefinitely, so this should only be a test for me.

I will also be without workout or hiking capabilities, which might be the hardest adjustment for me. I am strategically planning to take a day off work to give myself a reprieve, but work schedules requiring training might foil that plan. We shall see. I've also secretly eyed my sick time stockpile in case I decide to have a "sick attitude" day, but I would like that to be my last resort...as in, if I need to talk myself off a cliff, or something.

This week, Polli went on her first hike, a relatively flat and easy 3 miles, with only 900 feet of elevation gain. She did great but was visibly tired by the end. She had a fellow 4 legged hiker, a Chihuahua named Muscles, which helped keep her moving at a good pace the entire time. She was less than enthusiastic to jump on and off the bed the next day, so I think she was sore. I need to search to see if dogs can have ibuprofen in case that's helpful in her recovery next time. I don't have any of her pics on this post; they're on a different computer. I'll post those another day.

Yesterday, I decided to take Ian on his first hike! We did the "Tradition Lake Loop" at Tiger Mountain, which is technically 1.5 miles, but we stopped halfway. We still hiked almost a mile total, and he only asked to be carried once. He pretended that he was scared of stumps suddenly, but I know he was just zeroing in on what would make me pick him up. Genuine fears or pain are the two biggies. Just being tired isn't high up on my list. I told him that I would carry him this time, but if he wants to go on hikes with mommy, he must walk all the way. He reiterated that "babies don't go hiking, only big kids", to which I asked "which are you, a baby or a big kid?" and he very seriously answered "I'm NOT a baby, I'm only a big kid. Big kids walk, huh?". "Yep". "OK. I'll walk now".

As we reached the parking lot (and refusing to hold my hand) he darted out into the driveway without looking, barely missed by a car entering from the other side. I reached out and grabbed him by the top of his arm and yanked him back. It scared him more than anything, but he lost it. Owie Owie Owie! We got to the car and I got down to his level and very sternly (if not a little too loudly) told him that he almost got hit by a car and must always look both ways first. Never do that again!". All business, I placed him in his car seat, not realizing the crotch buckle was bent upward. Another round of Owies. He said, "Mommy, you smashed my junk in the seat. You need to settle down right now!". So, I did need to settle down. I also heard in his voice what I must sound like sometimes. Uggh. I didn't like it. My emotions were obviously running high, too. We had good cuddles and kisses... I was sorry/he was sorry... We agreed to go to Panera for soup to make us happy again.

He reminded me over and over that he was "sad at hiking", but I reminded him about all the fun we had before the parking lot, and within a few hours (and a big bowl of broccoli cheddar) he had forgotten about the parking lot and was again remembering the bugs, moss, and overall hiking good times. When I asked if he wanted to go again, he was very excited about "hiking another place, too!".

Probably more than anything, he liked drinking from my Camelbak. They make them for toddlers and small children now, so I might just break down and buy him one.

I actually have a handful of things to scan and post, plus some before/after stuff to do, so I'm not completely bored with blogging. There might just be a little left in me.

Checking out the trail signs. 1.5 miles? No way!

Taking it all in. There was a lot of looking up on the trail.

Trying out my backpack and water reservoir. He loved drinking from it... and I have no idea how much 3 year old backwash I ended up drinking. Yuck!

Pretty proud of himself after he got to pee in the bushes. No outhouse needed out here!

Enjoying the scenery

Posing with a big mature fir. He proclaimed that "trees are our friends!"

My little Tree Hugger!