bubbling brooks and creepy stairs

Let me start by saying, I do not typically take all three kids on field trips without extra (Trevy wrangling) hands.  I have more sense than that!  Seriously!  But I felt so guilty.  Bristel was desperate (her words) to go on our promised nature hike.  The one we missed (the day before, when I had a Trevy sitter lined up) because she had a nasty case of the sickies.  We'd missed both of our planned Spring Break fun days because of that darn bug.   Which, by the way, is exactly why I never plan things! 

But Friday was fever free and the sun was bright and cheerful.   

So I said to myself.  What the heck.  Let's (pack the Trevy leash and) give it a go.  You know, see what happens. 

As much as I complain about the Eskimo weather, we really do live in a beautiful, historically rich area.  

And it turns out that Fort Barton is ,like, the coolest park ever!   

The big kids packed their lunch boxes and nature journals.  Also, I gave Toby (the 10 year old) free reign of the camera.  

His first subject was that bird shaped tree up there ^.  He thought it was just too cool.  He's very into birds, that one. 

Cute story.  Bristel collected a pine cone and a few other treasures.  When we got home she opened her lunch pail to further examine her finds.  Which was not supposed to include the ginormous spider who judging by her scream must have leaped at her eyes with evil intent!  She totally freaked.  It was sooooo funny!  Especially her emphatic promise that she'll "never go on another nature hike again!"

Toby loved reading all the postings and carved maps.  He's lover of all things historical and science-ish.

Fort Barton is the best of both!     

In fact, Toby was in love with everything about the hike and loved taking pictures of all the "habitats" (his words).  Actually, so was Trevy.  He can even say "hike" perfectly!

Those stairs are much more impressive (and creepy) in person.  The path starts at the tippy top of large ravine.  Creepy stairs going down and back up again.  

It took some serious convincing on my part (and I'm the one who's petrified of heights!) to get the kids to agree that this whole hike idea was really going to be fun.  Toby & Bristel both balked claiming to feel a fever coming on.  Trevy did the forty pound "wet noodle" move.  You know the one.  Where the toddler just completely relaxes all his muscles and lays down on the ground in protest of whatever it is a toddler wants to protest.  Which is usually everything.  He kept shaking his head "no" while I worked up a sweat trying to upright the noodle boy.  A sense of humor helps in these kinds of situations.  I'm glad I have one.  

::smile::  

I finally convinced them all to just go down a few stairs and see how it felt.  

Pretty soon we were forging along at a nice clip!  Because really...it's pretty cool to climb down creepy stairs and have an interesting story to tell your friends later. 

Also, it helped that the paths were marked.  We took red.

We were really just trucking along.  I'm sure the kids wanted to touch more things but I have a poison ivy phobia.  Kinda like Bristel's spider one. 

Another funny story.  There was a babbling brook just trickling happily along below us.  I called the kids into a huddle and said Shhhhhhhh...let's listen and see what we can hear.  I was using my best teacher voice.  I thought it would be educational to listen to the bubbling below together.  Three pairs of big blue-green eyes stared at me unblinking.  One sparkling mischieviously.  Trevy's.  Two seconds into our listening project his toot (forced, I'm sure) cut the quiet of the forest followed by his howling laughter.  He is very into body noises, that one. 

There was really neat rocks to touch and observe.  A sensory seekers delight. 

The cameraman made me snap this picture of him next to a rock.  I guess when you're 10 it's a big deal to find a rock taller than yourself.

We probably trekked half a mile or so.  Impressive, if you ask me.


I meant to do more nature journaling.  But.  You did see that I solo trekked three kids half a mile down creepy stairs and winding bug infested woods, right?  

It was really a lot of fun.  

So much fun that the kiddos convinced the daddy that we needed to go for an Easter afternoon Fort Barton hike.  Daddy gives it two thumbs up too.