Oh, The Places You’ll Go

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.

– Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss, no one has ever said it quite like he. And he is absolutely right on this one. Oh, The Places You’ll Go is one of my favourite Dr. Seuss books but one I often forget about, until I read it again!  It doesn’t quite hold a presence in my house like Green Eggs and Ham but it is loved nonetheless.

Today reminds me of this book. -if you haven’t read it google it! In fact, just click here and enjoy!) Today I woke up with a game plan unlike our norm. We had no where to go, no obligations, no dates or times to adhere to, absolutely nothing! I have a feeling the type A, OCD side of me wouldn’t be comfortable with this regularly BUT since it is so rare it was quite enjoyed!

We made our first attempt at this week’s Weekly Intention with a muffin recipe I found on Pinterest that seemed waaaay too good to be true! The results – I’m actually not sure…I haven’t tried one yet! I’ll test one tomorrow and if they are worthy I’ll post about them, if not we’ll move onto attempt #2!

*UPDATE* This was actually written on Wednesday. Attempt #1 was a fail, as was #2 and #3….

After this, with all the opportunity & possibility my limited student/single mom budget would allow, we set out on an adventure! This would be my first ever attempt at REAL hiking. I say real because, well, the part of South Western Ontario I have lived my entire life in is pretty flat…we’ve got some hills but they roll along and form nothing noteworthy. We’ve done a lot of adventuring through the trails at the local conservation areas but nothing compared to this!

And this photo doesn’t even begin to describe the steep ridges & cliffs or the beauty of the natural environment we encountered during our trek along the Niagara Peninsula…but it’s better than nothing!

We started our trek at Balls Falls Conservation Area. The highlights there were two waterfalls but the highlight for me – the trails connected to the BRUCE TRAIL! Recall my Summer Fun To Do List, hiking the Bruce Trail was on there which means a big fat check mark – nothing feels better than checking something off a to do list!

Although the kids were quite happy to play in the Conservation Area’s washrooms, we eventually hit the trails.

Here’s proof we took on the challenge of the Bruce – and proof my youngest munchkin is an adorable little goof!

The stairs were out for maintenance but that didn’t stop us! His thumb may be up but his eyes show he was nervous! 

I won’t lie, the trek was tough, but hiking along the Niagara Peninsula was breathtaking!

It is hard to see from the picture but that was the trail we took to make our descent. What we found at the bottom made the trek well worth it….

The Twenty Mile Creek was full of mini waterfalls that captivated the kids.

I’ve got many other photos I could share but the sights we saw weren’t the highlight of the trip for me. The part that took my breath away was the time spent with my kids. It was just us, disconnected from the rest of the chaotic world we live in, completely immersed into the moment. Holding hands, watching out for each other, letting each other know when there was a hole, stump, root, etc. We had a chance to talk about real stuff, not just what they did at school or how their weekend with their Dad was. I like to talk to my kids about real stuff. I think sometimes they are a bit young but it is amazing how much they understand and they come up with great, real life examples that prove what I’m trying to teach them. We got to talk about how hard work pays off – then we climbed a tough ridge that led to a beautiful, breathtaking view and I got the best proof to back up our discussion! 

During our 4.5  hour hike it was just us and this is a rare and beautiful thing.

I am still bursting with pride that my little rugrats were able to rise to the challenge the trails held for us but even more so I am proud of who they are becoming.