Stone Mountain

Climbing a mountain seemed like the appropriate thing to do at the near-end of Chris's sabbatical. We are planning a permanent sabbatical from negativity so really this is just the beginning.

We picked up Lucas from school and ate lunch there at the Arbor. An adorable trio of 4-year old girls (AnnaSofia, Audrey and Zoe) gathered around me to get a close-up of the new hair. Audrey said, "You look like the wrong mom." Zoe told me I look like Kit Kittredge which I will take gladly because the actress is around 15 years old.

Apparently Lucas did not get the memo about the negativity sabbatical because he was in a whiny, defiant mood. But we drove off leaving the bad attitude under a tree and things eventually got better.

Before we started our climb, Lucas had already fallen off a short wall and into a bush, touched a cactus and got a needle in his finger, and jumped over the cactus getting needles stuck in his right shoe. Luckily I brought a much better pair of shoes for the hike - his Teva sandals - and the needles made him drop the stubbornness and change into them.

The cactus needles were a blessing because I have been looking for a good reason to get rid of his first, beloved pair of New Balance (being two sizes too small with a hole in the toe wasn't enough.) He asked to keep them for decoration but I said I'd take a picture (or maybe we will cut out the N and put it in a keepsake box.)

The climb definitely got my heart rate up (Stone Mountain always seems easier in theory.) Lucas made it with no problems at all. After the run-ins with bush and cactus, the mountain goat came out and I remembered what a great hiker he is. Hiking is excellent for kids because they have to maintain their focus and continuously make judgement calls due to the uneven ground. My how he's changed from the two-and-a-half year old he was in Prague, struggling to make it over the Charles Bridge and to the playground each day - just a mile-long stroll. I think yesterday he could have run up and down the mountain twice.

Gorgeous day!

Lucas loved running through the stone pools at the top.

These pools can actually have shrimp in them!

Sofia loved every moment bouncing along in the carrier. All that fresh air wore her out and she konked near the end.