The other .5 of Winter Break

We kept enjoying the great weather and got out in it as much as possible! I took the kids for a hike in Shell Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek. It's around 3 miles but has a decent climb up onto the top of the ridge. Below is Emma looking for hibernating frogs under the rocks. This is a dried up pond. We did eventually find a frog.
This is when you finally make it to the top of the ridge. Then we stay on top and follow it back down.



I was at Ross looking for curtains for Emma's room and instead of curtains....Sophie came home w/these Addidas. They are ladies size 5's. Awesome color, and mean tread on the bottom.
The next night she did her first 5 mile run! She did great!


We took the kids to Jump Sky High for an hour of fun.

We roasted dinner and smores outside, twice.
We went for our first major hike with the kids. We do tons of smaller hikes, like under 4 miles and not to sever of elevation climb. This one started at Shell Ridge and went across a few hills and valleys to Castle Rock park. We parked a car on each end, figuring the kids would do great one way, but not there and then back again. Our friends, Mr. and Mrs. North Face 50, joined us for the adventure.


Above is coming down Buckeye Ravine in Castle Rock Park.
After we made the trek to Castle Rock park, we spent about an hour exploring the usual fun spots the kids enjoy playing in.

That's Mr. North Face doing his best monkey impression.
That's just Brian's awesome calf muscle.
We went for a 13 mile run with the kids. We used to do this run all the time, every other weekend, but have gotten used to taking a different trail. It was nice to revisit it, but reminded us why we stopped using it. It's long and straight. No hills, or twists and turns, kind of a boring run. I found myself being done before we even turned around. Nothing hurt, I wasn't tired....just bored and done. But we finished.
And today the girls went back to school. They were not liking getting up this morning!! I have early morning kids, like they get up at 5 just because they are awake and ready to go....but today was a battle at 6:30 to get them up and keep them out of bed.

It was a great winter break, I have to say. It was really nice to have the great weather and be outdoors nearly everyday. I love that something like roasting dinner makes such an impression on the kids, they think it is the neatest thing still. The funny thing is that it was such a foreign idea to the hubby. "What?? Dig up a hole in the yard?? Roast stuff for fun.....when you're not camping??" I pretty much made a list of what I needed and did it, knowing that he, while not telling me no, was not happy about it.....but now he loves it as much as the kids.
Anyhow....I am soaking up these days when it is the cheap, simple things that make the kids happy. I know it wont last forever. (although, I have always enjoyed cheap and simple great memories over....well, anything else, so who knows?!)