Thursday, April 30, 2009

Things I Learned Today

Updated to add: Mamasita, yes, of course invite me to your cabin! As long as it has electricity, heat in the winter, a/c in the summer, a functioning kitchen, and running water, I LOVE camping! It's tent-camping I don't "do". My rule is: If I have to get up in the middle of the night and put on shoes and grab a flashlight to go potty??? It's too rustic for me.

I actually enjoy hiking and nature and trees and wildlife and all that crap, if its in the right environment. My two recent visits to Alaska??? LOVED THEM! I want a cool, beautiful day where I wander aimlessly, dressed in comfy jeans and boots and plaid flannel, taking beautiful pictures of the breathtaking scenery. I like fishing, and nature walks, and four-wheeling ---- AS LONG AS THEY DON'T INVOLVE SWEATING!!
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I went as a chaperone with my daughter's entire 3rd grade on a field trip to Red Rock Canyon today. While there, I learned quite a bit ... both in general, and about myself personally. I thought I would share them with you. That's just how I roll.

1. Red Rock Canyon is a state park and "oasis" (if you believe the brochures) located in Oklahoma. More specifically, an outdoor nature-park type place, located in some kind of canyon, with walking trails and hiking trails and small cliffs and whatever other kind of outdoors-y crap you might like if you are into outdoors-y crap.

2. I am not into outdoors-y crap.

3. I do not like the outdoors.

4. I do not like humidity.

5. It rained this week, and was therefore humid. (see #4)

6. I do not like nature.

7. I do not like hiking.

8. I most emphatically do not like sweating.

9. Mainly, I do not like taking nature walks or hiking in the outdoor nature areas which cause me to sweat.

10. I do not like the way my bra feels when it is wet because it is sticking to my disgusting wet sweaty body.

11. I do not like bugs.

12. I do not like mud.

13. I do not like trees and shrubs and sticks and grass which are prickly and pokey and stick me in the legs.

14. I do not like to sweat.

15. I do not like climbing up hills. Or down hills. Or around or on or over or under any kind of hill.

16. I do not like when it has been raining and the ground is wet and slippery and I fall down with an expensive camera in my hand.

17. I do not like yelling at children to "Step back from the edge of the pond I said step back before you fall in for God's sake what part of step back do you not understand and if your 9-yr old rear falls in that water you better be able to swim is all I'm saying because I'm NOT coming in after you!!!"

18. I do not like balancing on skinny logs over mud puddles.

19. Did I mention I do not like sweating?

Here are a few things that I *DID* like today:

I liked watching my daughter play kickball with her classmates:



I liked watching her walk along the nature trail:



I liked watching how happy it make her to climb all over the boulders:



I liked watching her be silly, like the 9-year old she is:



I liked watching her cross rivers, streams, mud puddles:



Most of all, I liked loved, loved, loved with all my heart when she walked up to me on the trail, slipped her hand in mine, and told me how happy she was that I came on the trip.


It *almost* made the sweating worthwhile.

Almost.

28 comments:

MichelleRenee said...

I love the timing.

I am expected to chaperone a field trip tomorrow morning.

For my daughter's kindergarten class.

I'm hoping we get to have a happy picture at the end like you and I hope I'm not crying.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad your daughter was happy you were on the trip. My daughter ignored me the whole time and put a lot of effort into running way ahead of me on the trails. She didn't even realize that I had rode on the same bus with her while in the canyon. (My ride was with the "other" group.) Although it was kind of cute watching her blush when I explained it to her in my friends car on the way home. (She squirmed, Oh, yes she did!) It's kind of funny to already be at the mom I want you here but don't let my friends know stage and she is only 8! LOL

Mommyfried

vgsmom said...

Man, you are a trooper. I didn't even like taking a walk in the neighborhood today. But that glimpse of the people our children are becoming makes many things bearble.

Melissa said...

You get some kind of award for putting yourself through that, or at least you should.

My favorite part is the pictures, she's come a loooong way since the CB days.

The Foster Home said...

Aww, that last part made my heart melt. I love it when they are so sweet!!

Amanda said...

almost.

i agree with all these self-truths. i grew up in the middle of nowhere northern ontario, so i don't *mind* being outside IF it's nice, not too hot or cold or windy or wet or humid and i'm not out for too long. :P

and don't get me started on sweat. lucky for me, i can't seem to find deodorant that works! so i'm (almost) ALWAYS sweaty... cold, hot, sitting on my couch doing nothing.. it's wonderful!

hmmm.. i guess that may have been too much info for my first comment on your blog. please don't tell your best friend Ree... i don't want her to know her future next-best friend is disgusting. :P

Musings from Me said...

You and I could be twins. I'm so not in to the outdoors. Three GS camping trips was enough for me.

kimi said...

Ya know...I love seeing your beautiful daughter on a field trip at all. I've followed you since your Caringbridge days.

I can't help but think how wonderful God is to look at a miracle walking (but that's just me!).

Kim

Amy said...

It's those silver linings that make it all worthwhile, isn't?

Did you ever climb Stone Mountain when you lived in Georgia? It almost killed me over Spring Break: http://4thfrog.blogspot.com/2009/04/its-just-little-hill.html

Definitely enough outdoorsy-ness for me for quite a while.

joanne said...

so are you saying you don't like to sweat??

J-Quell'n said...

Humidity is absolutely the worst part of living in Oklahoma...other than that, I think I would want to live here forever.

The Traveling Yogi said...

I like the part where Kendrie slipped her hand in yours and told you she was happy you were there. I LOVE when my kids do that - especially Dalton, because boys don't usually do that.

Jane Copes (Professor Sepoc) said...

I'm glad I kept reading. I guess you wouldn't want to grow your own rhubarb either. It's so EASY, and you would have it year after year. But it's way gone by September.

I really do like to get dirty and sweaty outdoors (or indoors). I didn't get to do those things for a year or so during my Leukemia Land tour, and I like them even more now. You and Kendrie gave me a lot of courage during those days. I owe you.

So I'll take your share of dirt and sweat. But no poisonous snakes or scorpions, OK? Jane

Mamasita said...

So, if we ever become real life BFF's (you know, like you and Ree?) I suppose you would not want to join us at the cabin in the mountains? We walk through the woods, play in the creek, ride 4 - wheelers, etc. Probably sounds like torture to you, huh?

I'll remember that for when we do become BFF's, okay?

So glad Kendrie is still young enough to hold hands with her mommy. If they only knew what those little things mean to us.

Anonymous said...

If you ever get up to Minnesota, you need to come camping with me. I hate to sweat too, so the AC is always cranked and the most strenuous hiking I do is to the pool! I always have snacks, ice and Coke available to keep up my strength (ok, I'll get some DDP. I wonder if our new Sonic would sell me bags of rabbit pellet ice?) We could be BFFs around the campfire, and when it gets too hot or we see the first mosquito, we'll head inside!
Sheila-MN

Me, You, or Ellie said...

I don't know which is worst, the bugs or the 9 year olds. They both make me itch. Now you've got a bona fide 'good mom' card in your pocket, enjoy the glory!

Jacquie

Dianna in Louisiana said...

Sweet Girl...... Gosh Kristie, how is it that Kendrie is finishing third grade!!!!! I am so with you on the sweating thing and am now currently dreading field day which starts in 1/2 hour. Have a great weekend

lizinsumner said...

Look how tall/big she's getting! And how much older she looks - and how healthy she looks! And all that hair, that beautiful hair....I have to stop; when you cry at work, people look at you funny. Way to go, Kendrie!! PS - Kristie - entirely with you on the nature-lovin-tree-huggin' stuff...so much so, that on the next trip to WDW that I promised my son, I'm seriously considering NOT going to Animal Kingdom (except I think the lure of the Destination Everest ride may be too strong to resist)........

lizinsumner said...

Forgot to tell you that Western Washington got it's first Sonic last week - it's in Puyallup, which is right next to Sumner. I haven't been yet because the lines have been 2 1/2 hours long. But - I'm confused....the news said that the ice is "square and lego-shaped". Is rabbit-pellet ice (oh, the images that name conjures!!) only limited to OK Sonics???? I'm gonna go check it out this weekend, but if there's a long line, I'll wait until the hoopla dies down some.......

Anonymous said...

I am so in agreement with your feelings on outdoor stuff! Living in GA, I see LOTS of humidity! I want to refer back to what Amy said:

"Did you ever climb Stone Mountain when you lived in Georgia? It almost killed me over Spring Break."

Can you believe that my 26 year-old single brother-in-law suggested spending Mother's day at Stone Mountain!!?? Just shoot me!

Anne in GA

Pam D said...

Kendrie looks wonderful, and healthy, and happy; it just doesn't get any better than that. Sweat and all. I do every field trip I can, because I know that after 3rd grade, it's all downhill in the parent relationship game. I'll be lucky in a year or two to be allowed to drive anywhere within a mile of the school campus. (but I DO have to take Tylenol before I ever get on the field trip bus; I hate that chaos about as much as you hate to sweat).

Haley said...

Your list reminds me of a recent camping adventure of my own. On the last morning my friends and boyfriend asked me if there was anything I liked about camping...that was after I drove to the bathroom. It was raining, and I hate being wet.

Melissa in CA said...

I teared a little...

Bonita in Az said...

Just noticing in your picture that you have a top on with long sleeves and a pretty high neck! Just an FYI for you from someone who lives in scalding hot weather, short sleeves or sleeveless and a low neck probably would have made you sweat a lot less!

Cindi said...

It looks like she had a great time on the field trip. It looks like you enjoyed seeing her have a great time too.

As far as communing with nature, I'm totally with you.

My idea of camping is sleeping with the window open. Period.

Renee said...

I share the same love of "camping." The last picture is a keeper! Did you **ever** do the Carters Lake hike?

Bonita in Az said...

Oops just read my post and it hope you dont take it the wrong way......it was tongue in cheek and it was trying to do a poor job I think of kidding you! lol

Stefunkc said...

I took that same trip last year. After a monsoon also. We had to throw away our shoes after we were done. The jeans barely survived!