Thankfully award ceremonies don't come around very often.
Also thankfully because today my husband and I, cohorts in this crazy journey of parenting, would have received an award for least prepared parents.
"And the award for Least Prepared Parents on the Planet goes to....." the announcer makes a show to fumble with the envelope and then reveals...
"... Jeff and Alysun! For going on a family hike and forgetting a child's shoes," the announcer says with a game-show-tone, waiting for the applause.
Would anyone applaud? Probably not. Well, maybe the parents who didn't win would clap out of sheer relief. Everyone else would stare in stunned silence.
That's my youngest daughter there on my strong husband's shoulders. She's not wearing shoes. She is wearing 2 pairs of socks that I found in the diaper bag.
Applaud, applaud, applaud.
Crazy enough, my pride was more hurt than anything. We had invited our new neighbors to go on this hike with us. They are originally from southern California and we raved to them about Silver Falls. It's on the Williamette Valley's "must-see" list. They don't know us very well and all our other redeeming qualities, but now they know that we let our child run around a state park in socks.
My pride.... hurting.
Mandy didn't care one bit and ran down the dirt path without a care in the world. We carried her over the muddy parts. I have standards.
We completed the 5 mile loupe, taking in Oregon's beauty. It's really a great hike with 6 breathtaking falls in 5 miles. Our neighbors said they enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.
But I would wear shoes if I were you.
4 comments:
I'm sure it will go down in Mandy's memory bank very differently than yours. But is this sort of thing also inherited... Think Andrea at Disneyland with only flipflops and one of you as an infant on a rainy memorial day at the beach with no shoes or socks can't you just hear the whole church gathering gasping? you made it 5 miles though and how is Jeff's back?
I can totally see that happening to me. Ethan will not leave shoes on and I've given up and let him run all over the place barefoot. Did you notice that he was following me around barefoot while I got the coffee ready for MOPS at the last meeting? I swear he owns shoes. One time I held Grace's hand while we shopped at Safeway and we were halfway done when I looked down and realized she had lost a shoe. We found it at the front door. I can only imagine the looks I got while hauling my 2 year old around the store with one shoe on and one shoe missing. How embarrassing.
This is why parents make themselves so embarrassing to be around when their kids are old enough to care. Plain old revenge. I still can't believe you did Silver Falls with all of them. You put the crazy in amazing, that's for sure.
I so want to do this hike! Why did I never get the chance with all the summers and vacations I spent in the Willamette Vally with my cousins??? Looks beautiful! But I will be sure to bring shoes when I do get the chance... ;o)
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