Family Hike in the Woods

Excited hiker taking off.

Slow and steady, with her bunny on her back.

Feeling the trees.

Steve trying to keep up with Pen, while I hung back with Vi.

The girls building a fairy house of sand and found objects.

Pig having a piggyback ride.

Pig

Penelope and Pig on a stump.

Penelope and Pig on a rock.

Violet as Puck

Throwing rocks in the pond.

Making a fairy house.

Cradle for a fairy babe.

Who needs toys when you have logs?

Vi looking for rocks.

Putting rocks around the fairy house.

Those are acorn caps stuffed with "cakes", the leftover banana muffins we brought.

Finished House

Pig and Bunny Num Num ready to head back.

All of us.

We went hiking at Massasoit State Park on Steve's last day of vacation. The two of us used to go there all the time. It's a little different with kids, but still fun. Penelope was very enthusiastic about it all. Violet wanted to hike too, not ride in the pack. I let her for a long time, going at a snail's pace and stopping to touch every leaf, stone, and tree. She was very much in the moment about it all, while Pen was all about what was just around the next bend.

Eventually I was able to get Vi into the pack, and she even napped a bit in there. Penelope kept posing pig and asking me to take her picture. There were lots of other hikers who brought their dogs, so the girls were thrilled with that, and Penelope even got to pet two horses and talk horse stuff with their riders. They were Pasa Finos, and of course, that is now Penelope's new favorite horse. One of the women told me that when a child begins their obsession with horses at such a young age, that means it's in their blood and she will be a horse woman. I already suspected this was true. She said to be glad, because when other girls were hanging out at the mall, Penelope would be working in the barn or out on her horse. She did have a point, but I'm still trying to deal with the fact that horseback riding lessons are $40 for a half hour. No lessons for Pen just yet. Hopefully someday, though.

We stopped by the pond for our lunch, and built a house for the fairies to find. Penelope and I started it, but soon Steve and Vi were working on it too. I hope the cakes we left in the acorn caps were enjoyed by someone. It was a really nice day, and I can't say how happy I am that my girls both love hiking too. I look forward to enjoying many more of these together.