Outside... for a while

We've really been enjoying the January weather so far this year so I've tried to make sure to take advantage of it as much as possible. You never know when its going to start getting soggy again (sadly, I think its going to happen this weekend) and stay that way until March.

This particular hike started off great. We had never been to this spot before and didn't exactly know the best way to get to the end, which had an overlook to a small waterfall.



Long story short, I sort of mis-read the map. I mean, its a highly developed hiking area so no worries there. However, I read that it was a mile in so I expected a 2 mile round trip hike, but what it actually meant was that it was a mile to the trail head. Oopsie. So our short 2 mile hike turned into something like 5 miles. Z was such a trooper though. We had a good rest at the overlook and he made it the whole way back with only a couple short piggy back rides up the steep hill at the end. I was super proud of him and it was a good, while unexpected, test for both of us. However we were out there for a LOT longer than planned.

At the end it was a little too warm for the flannel shirt so I helped little man tie it around his waist. Immediately he must have thought about my mom, who ties her long sleeves around her waist when she's walking and carries her water bottle in her hip pack. He made me take this picture to show Tutu that he's "just like her!". :)