Max, Emma, and the "Easy Little Hike..."

Monday, Max needed to get his

Reflections Contest entry done

(because it was due on Tuesday -- of course).

The theme this year is "Wow...!"

In the interest of time, he decided on entering some photos.

He thought about places we could go that made him say "wow!"

He wanted to hike the "Y".

(He's been trying to get me to do that again and I've been putting that one off! It was hard enough the first time I did it!)

I promptly told him no on that so he opted to go to

Bridal Veil Falls.

I asked Jake what the hike to the falls was like.

He said, "Oh, it's an easy little 1/4 mile hike." and assured me that Emma could do it.

So, taking his word, I ventured out with Max and Emma.

Max and Emma in front of the "octopus tree" (as they called it.)

We made it to the trailhead (at least I think it was the trailhead) and started up this hill...

This picture doesn't show it but it was a little (okay alot) steep.

Have I ever mentioned that Emma isn't the least bit adventurous?

Well, she's so not.

I managed to get her up this hill thinking that the easy little trail would follow.

Uh, no.

By this time, Emma's screaming because she was all freaked out over almost slipping going up the hill and then I see the next part of the "trail".

It was all rocks.

So, I had to tell Max that there was no way I was going to take Emma through that.

By then I had Emma crying and now Max.

I felt bad because he really wanted to get pictures up close to the falls but there was just no way.

I waited until they quit crying and I tried to figure out how to get Emma back down.

Max got down just fine and I started down with Emma.

She would have NOTHING to do with that and was

totally screaming.

I'm thinking,

"Great. What am I supposed to do now?"

I didn't feel like I could safely carry her down so I told her we were going to go down on our bums like a slide.

Not such a good plan.

She was bawling at this point.

Luckily for us a nice couple was

coming down and helped us.

Yeah, I felt pretty stupid but I was grateful.

Lesson learned...

don't take a 4-year-old hiking

and don't believe your teenager's word that a hike is easy.

Max had to settle on taking pictures farther away but I think he did a good job.

He chose 3 of his favorites to enter

and displayed them very nicely on a black board.

Here they are...

"Farthest" by Max.

"Closer" by Max

"Closest" by Max

He was happy with the finished project.

I'm pretty proud of him!

I'll have to take him back to hike to the waterfall to make up for this.

But the next time,

we'll be leaving Emma home!