Family hikes

 Just about every weekend that Scott isn't working, we are out hiking somewhere. A few weekends ago we went to the Fells on the Crystal Spring Trail. It was not long or hard, so the kids loved it.

 They also loved eating Scott's peanut butter M&Ms on the hike. Oliver decided that he is not a big fan of the hiking backpack anymore, so he walked much of the way and kept up as long as there was an M&M in front of him.

 This trail goes by a public park, which we had to stop at. Of course.

 We also hiked in the Arnold Arboretum this month. We avoided it on Mother's Day because it gets crowded, but went a week later and had all the lilacs to ourselves.

 Bruce swiped the camera and snapped a few selfies and other pictures...

 ...like this one.

 On Memorial Day we decided to hike Mount Monadnock. It is the most frequently hiked mountain in New England, so we went to see what all the hype was about. 

 We went for a 5+ mile loop. Scott, Bruce, and Oliver hiked ahead and Phoebe and I poked around at her pace (sloooow). Phoebe collected rocks, sticks, and leaves to show her kindergarten class. She took lots of pretzel breaks.

 And when we got to a rough spot on the trail, she always chose the harder route. "I'm seeking out challenge," she said. "Seek out challenge" is one of her school's core habits of mind and they must be publishing that well.

We eventually made it to the top, had some lunch, and then headed down.

Once again, the boys hiked ahead and Phoebe and I trudged along. At one point Phoebe said she had to go to the bathroom. I informed her that the closest bathrooms were 1.5 miles away so she either had to hold it that long or go in the bushes. She refused to go in the bushes. Five minutes later, she got tearful: "I have to go to the bathroom!" She peed her pants a minute later - while a couple hiked past us and giggled. She screamed and cried for the last 1.5 miles, which took about an hour. We eventually made it to the car, drove to the closest Wal-Mart, and bought a new outfit of her choosing (a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajama set). She was pretty thrilled about getting new threads, so she better not pee her pants next time just to get a new outfit.