Day Out With the Dicks

     Guess what? I have a some weekend time off lately! Mostly because I was on vacation for almost 2 weeks (most of which I worked, but still...). In the spirit of things, we decided to take the kids and do "Fun Family Things"! It was a pretty low key summer, mostly spent at home, due to schedules and house stuff that needed to be done. Time to have a little fun, right?

     It was decided after intense debate, (And myself vehemently voting down the beach. It may take awhile before I can make myself go back to that sizzling hell again...) to try out mini golf and then hike Rock City Park, a family favorite.

     "Kids!" I call out cheerily from the front seat of my vehicle, "Your challenge today, is to try and eat healthy!" This on the heels of the realization that I have only 9 months to train for the Mudderella. I can only carry a mental plan and lots of research as to the best ways to train, for so long. Eventually, I will have to get a little more proactive. Evening walks, and going on active family outings have really helped with a kick start in that area. Thus the active plans we had for our Big Day Out yesterday. This announcement was met with "Yay! Okay Mom!" and all sorts of enthusiasm at the time.
     We reached our first stop about half an hour later. And the begging for pizza began. It was with resignation that I realize that my children are convinced their mother is an alcoholic, as they tried to get me to order pizza, while telling me that it goes well with alcohol. Nice.
     We ended up with McDonald's. I probably could have taken on the 5 begging people, and insisted on a healthy trip to the grocery store, but, sometimes you need to pick the battles. Why start off the trip with 5 sulking people? So, to McDonald's we went.

     On to the Mini Golf place. After paying for a round of golf for the 6 of us, we meandered out to the golf course. Where a very large group of people were stationed indefinitely at the first hole. And they stayed. And stayed. And stayed. It was suggested by Bearded Man that we begin at the end. Which was happily agreed to, and the entire family began to smack balls all over the course. Into sand traps, parking lots, water traps, bouncing them off of sidewalls, decorations, and eventually into holes. It was a complete Redneck Golf Convention. I realized we had very little control of the situation. 4 kids of different abilities, scattered all over the golf course, whacking balls everywhere, and the dawning of thought that we were running the wrong way, as people were coming toward us in the proper order. The boys were dropping their golf balls into the water, to attempt to fish them out again, and George, who had new shoes that didn't fit properly, kept falling over. Que the tears, as people looked on at the awesome parents, not even looking up from their golf balls, calling out "You're fine, George! Get up and walk it off!" "Come on, Soapy! Get up!" Kaila would yell. "Soapy?" I ask, "Yes. Because he keeps slipping. Like soap..." Good Lord. PLEASE don't let that name stick.
     Toward the end of the golf game, I look up, as I hear a man yell "Why? WHY??!!!" In complete frustration, and see George catch the man's golf ball, as it rolled toward the hole, and run off with it, throwing it into a water pond. It seems the guy's golf ball was the same color as George's, and George thought he was throwing his own ball into the water. So, with apologies, we fished it out.
     I'm sure we will never see any of those people again, thank goodness. It was a pretty unorganized trip. But, we were only half way done. On to Rock City Park

     Rock City Park is this amazing place that, at the top, looks out almost forever, over the most beautiful views, as you stand on top of boulders that are 80+ feet tall. (If I remember the one sign right. Could be off give or take a foot..) After walking down a steep iron stairway, you end up in this magical place that meanders thru the rock formations, and gives quite a nice little hike of about a mile. Shortly into the hike, Joe, who, as self appointed leader, due to his Cub Scout status, and therefore more knowledge and training than the rest of us, led us down the wrong path. Which ended up with us going backwards - twice in one day!- through the entire park. Upon finding out that Joe had mixed us all up, George chimed in "Joe. You got us lost. Now you can stay lost. We are leaving without you. Good bye." A statement that was not met well by Joe.

    After the park, with the entire family dirty, grimy and sweaty, decided to run to Wal Mart, to get George some new shoes. The other new shoes just weren't the best fit. Of course I ran into lots of people I knew... And, of course I had "Wal Mart People Hair", which, I am sure, only hastens the inevitable posting of my pic on the 'People of Wal Mart' site eventually.

  One of the conversations throughout the day, involved my Mudderella Training.

     "Hon. You should fill my backpack up with heavy stuff, and go hiking through the woods during hunting season! Just go get your hunting license!"

     "WHAT? Why the heck would you hand me your camo backpack, and send me into the woods during hunting season?!"

     "You can wear orange."

     "There are soooo many other places I could go hike. Why the woods during hunting season?!"

     'Fine. You could always ride your bike up Case Lake Hill, and then over and down East Hill Road."

     "You did that a few years ago, and almost died, coming down that hill, Jasin."

     "I think my brakes were broken."

     "No. They were not. It is a very long (miles) hill, and you almost lost control and died."

     "You should try it!"

     "KIDS! I want it known RIGHT THIS MINUTE, that if Daddy and I go anywhere alone together, and I do not come back, or don't come back in one piece, you are to all be suspicious, and call authorities!"

     "Okay, Mom" they all agreed readily.

     At the end of the day, it was nice to come  home.... we made it home right before a thunderstorm swept through the area. The timing was perfect. And, I am sure society as a whole, was happy to see us off the public streets.....