A day in the park

Yesterday I decided to take the kids to the park down the road from our house. It was a beautiful day and I needed a walk. The park has a trail and Jeff had been jogging on it before. He told me part of it goes through the woods and that I just needed to stay on the main trail and I wouldn't be in the woods that long - it would go back into the clearing. No big deal. So I loaded up the 4 kids and we headed to the park. I brought Nathan's tricylce that has a long handle on the back so that he can be pushed. Why I thought that was a good idea I don't know. Anyway, I told the kids if they were good and let me get a 30 minute walk in without complaining, asking if we were done, etc., that we would play on the big playground there at the park afterwards. We started off - the kids with way too much energy and me just thankful to be out of the house and getting some much needed excercise. As soon as the trail led into the woods, Makayla got a little freaked out. She thought for sure I was lost. Ben thought for sure a bear was going to get us, and Sam thought for sure they would never get to play on the playground. Nathan was just along for the ride. After reassuring them that we were not lost, a bear was not going to eat us, and that if they were good, they would play on the playground, we continued. The trail is not marked very well (no signs saying this way so many miles, or this path leads here... )and after we had been on the trail, in the woods, for 3/4 of a mile, I realized we were not on the right trail. Ben was now worried about crocodiles and snakes (there was a little creek running alongside the trail) and Makayla kept saying - rather loudly - "we're lost!" Sam continued to have a worried look on his face and quietly asked "Mom - do you know where we are?" We turned around and back tracked about 1/4 mile and I took another trail that led us out of the woods. Makayla (my drama queen - get's that from her Aunt Jenny) exclaimed for all the park to hear "we're saved!!!" So - our little 30 minute walk turned into much longer and according to Makayla, we are lucky to be alive. We headed over to the playground and I was surprised to see group of school age boys (we went around 11:00 - I figured my kids would be the oldest ones there). Turns out a homeschool group was there. I got to meet some of the moms and have adult conversation! It was wonderful. One of the ladies actually goes to my church and I teach her son in AWANA. Ben and Sam took off with their new friends to the tire swing. 3 boys would be on it while the others pushed. I got dizzy watching it. After about an hour of this, I see Sammy heading my way, staggering, with his hand over his mouth. He gets half way to me and vomits. Lovely. I round the kids up, say my good byes and we go home. Ben and Sam were both dizzy and sick for a few hours after that. Now - they are ready to go back and play on that "cool" swing! It was not a relaxing day, but we made new friends and lessons were learned (don't spend an hour on a tire swing). Hope your week has started well.