The Morning After

Finished my first little hike with Madelyn today.  It went pretty good, considering she is three-years-old and at no time during the journey was there a Treehouse break.

Basically a hike can be summed up as thus:

First 1/4 of the hike, “slow down.”
Last 3/4 of the hike, “hurry the FUCK up.”

We made out way to Mount Douglas Park, but instead of going up the hill, we walked down to the ocean.  I dunno what it is with people, but the ocean… rocks… people need to throw them.

Madelyn bee-lines straight for the shoreline and gets hucking.  Water spilling over her gumboots, everything soaking wet.  I have fantasies of me going all Hasselhoff and Baywatching it into the sea to drag her out.  She is a rock throwing machine.  When I finally used our picnic food to drag her away some UVic kids wandered down.  And they too made a straight line to the shore and started hucking rocks.  Funny how that is.

If there is any advice I can bestow after just one little hike it is this; bring snacks.  I am pretty sure another Mom told me that, but it works.  In my little half sack I packed the trail-mix with the smarties, pepperoni, apple and water.  Mads loved the rustic snacking on the shoreline, sitting on a piece of driftwood.

Our day ended with a trip downtown.  I have had a mad lust for the Smashing Pumpkins‘ Siamese Dream album.  Coral is at the Sasquatch Festival and Madelyn is doing back-to-back sleepovers and during my down time, I actually get to put on a record and just sit for a moment.  I had a lot of stress balled up over the past little while, but today during my hike and just now before blogging it evaporated.  I could actually feel it unwinding during a few stretches of hide-and-seek in the forest.  It was kinda scary actually.  Like a reverse panic attack?  odd… but ultimately a good feeling.

I can’t wait to free up my Saturday nights (its in the plans for after wedding season) and actually take more than an afternoon to hike and sit.

Go with yourself.