Vacation mode

Oh, my beautiful, stubborn daughter!

Emma fell asleep on our way to Smith Rock. I stayed in the van while the others hiked down to see what there was to see. Our friend, Paul is a fanatical nature photographer (I mean that as the fantastic, creative form of fanatical) and wanted to catch the perfect light on the many faces of Smith Rock. Well, when Emma woke up, she was frightened that everyone was gone. After I calmed her down, we made the steep trek down the path to the Deschutes River. She walked all the way, hurrying to find Daddy and Mandy. I was worrying the whole way, wondering how the heck we were doing to get back up that path with Emma.

Paul took this family picture and was concerned at the harsh light, but I really like it. This is the real us, every day, funny hair, bugging sisters, puffy coated family.

Jeff and Emma like to frighten me. They have no fear, those two. I took this picture while on the safe bench in the sun with Mandy. By the way, Mandy loves to hike too, but I think she will play it safe like me and see the views with a telephoto lens instead of risking precious life.

So, back to my stubborn Emma... 

Do you see that tiny little path down by the river? That is the path that we hiked down and then back up. After Emma found Daddy and Mandy, she was really upset at them for leaving her (this is all my hypothesis since she wouldn't communicate why she was so mad). Jeff repeatedly asked Emma if she wanted to ride on his shoulders on very steep hike back up, but she refused with that nasty "no" and yank of the whole body that is very prevelant among the strong willed.

She cried. She wined. She said, "I dying. I dying." But she made it, all the way up the hill.

Watching Emma's refusal to give in, taking a ride, which was obviously the easy choice, reminded me so much of myself. My mother said to me continuously throughout my childhood, "Your attitude is the only thing you can change in this situation." She said it so much, I should have had a t-shirt made. I've heard stories of the time I steadfastly refused to hold my mother's hand at age 2 as the family hiked to the top of Beckon Rock. My mom had to return to the bottom with me because I was scarring her to death. It really isn't too far of a leap to now see my own daughter refusing to give in.

I wish my own personal experience could somehow make me a better mother to Emma. She has such determination. All the way up that incline I was trying to help Emma change her attitude. She hasn't quite grasped the "your attitude is the only thing you can change in this situation" concept -- perhaps I should make her a t-shirt.

Coming home from vacation is always so tough. No one did the laundry and to add to it, there is more when we get home. No one cleaned the bathroom that was dirty when we left. We had 10 real messaged on the machine to return. I still needed to make that trip to the grocery store and everybody is hungry.

Alas, it is worth it. We had a wonderful time with our friends, Paul and Annie (see the link to the right). We filled up on relaxing, talking, swimming and eating. Now I have a bit more energy to tackle the real world.