Joyce had a Sisters' Night Out tonight... which meant I get to spoil the kids all by myself. By spoiling... I took them on a 5 mile hike up Rancho San Antonio. It started out fun and exciting...I would take them on the circuitous route. Instead of going around the creek, we would walk on the balance beam formed by a fallen tree. We would observe turkeys, lizards and any other animals that's not a mountain lion. Then after the 3rd mile... everyone started to get hangry and complained. It didn't help that NN suggested we play a game of describing of favorite dinner. No no no.
But I pushed them and challenged them... not giving them a chance to stop and rest until they reached the Vista Point.
NN: "I'm tired."
BB: "Hi Tired! I'm daddy."
NN: "Not funny."
NN: "My foot hurts."
BB: "Hi foot hurts."
NN: "Daddy, that doesn't even make sense. Can you stop."
BB: "Stop what?"
SW: "Dad jokes!!"
(a few minutes later)
SW: "I'm tired."
NN: "Hi tired!"
All: "Hahahahhaa
On the way back down, SW slipped and scratched his knee. He started crying. Rightfully so... he was tired and it stung. Last time I took the two of them hiking, he also slipped and fell and scratched his knee. Wrong type of tradition to build.
In the end, I articulated the importance of overcoming challenges, the times it feels that you're physically exhausted and someone's there to walk that final with you, the feeling of victory when we reached the Vista Point, and planting the seed that we will look back on these special 三人行 moments.
Then they started longing for Mommy. Why?? If Mommy was here, we would've turned around after the first half mile. =)
Dinner Menu: Sweet Tomatoes
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