I am falling behind on recording our PNW homeschool adventures, which I something I really do not want to do. So today, I will share with you our last two hikes. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Kym suggested we take the kids to Squires Lake which was fine with me since I am just trying to get out of the house and have fun with Apollo. This was a trail we had never been on and it is always fun to strike out on new adventures.
Apollo, Wyatt, and Indi were all in the same first-grade class last year at our local public school. Apollo and Indi were also in the same kindergarten class and became fast friends. Joey is Indi’s four-year-old brother and the friendship between he and Apollo has been a match made in heaven. Joey loves to follow Apollo around since he’s a “big kid” and Apollo loves taking the older brother roll with Joey, often gently guiding him with his hand and calling him “Little Jo-Jo”.
The previous week we had hiked to Squalicum Lake and Apollo had on his Camelbak water pack. Joey saw it and spend much of the rest of the afternoon asking his mom to dig out their Camelbak…which she did for this hike. Joey was thrilled to have the same water bottle as Apollo.
This hike was just plain out fun (especially compared to our hike walk to Squalicum Lake). Much of it was uphill (with a 200 ft elevation) which the kids loved. My friend Danielle and her stroller? Maybe not so much.
We give the kids very little direction on these hikes. I like to stand back and watch them explore and learn. We sometimes point on plants and birds that we see but we have found the kids often veer into scientific discussions all on their own. Our snack of carrots let Wyatt to say, “Carrots are a classic snack!” which led to conversations among the kids about healthy foods. 
The kids loved the challenge of climbing on these downed trees. 
This hike was also made more exciting by the fact that we got lost. The trail was much steeper than Kym remembered and getting Danielle’s stroller over parts required two adults. On the way back took a packed down trail that we thought led back to the trailhead but which, instead, lead to private property with No Trespassing signs posted all around. 
We had no choice but to backtrack..so backtrack we did, extending our hike much longer than we anticipated. The kids took it more or less in stride with a bit of whining and a few tears thrown in, just too keep things exciting.
The next week (which was last week) we headed to North Lake Whatcom.
Our family loves this trail because it is close to home. It is much more of a walk than a hike but it is right next to a lake in a heavily forested area so it is a treat just to walk along this trail.
Once again, we let the children lead the way. We stopped at this little beach area and the kids played for a long, long time. They waded in the water, threw in rocks. A few kayakers went by and we discussed the birds and other animals that live here.
Because the kids played for so long by the lake we only hiked about a mile. After that, we headed back to our place for coffee and lunch. It has been so much fun having these outings once a week. 
  
Sometimes I can’t believe how privileged we are to live in such a beautiful area (hashtag blessed). Apollo is still struggling with the adjustment to a new school (even though his friends are there) and the empty house on his days home. Today he has his first appointment with a counselor who will hopefully help him learn a few tricks to help with his anxiety.
Meanwhile, we are planning this week’s adventure. Since it is supposed to rain all week, we will be experimenting with and learning about apples.
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Have you heard of hike it baby? There might be a group in your area! Also, when will we get to see wedding pictures and get an update on the happy couple?
I haven’t, but I’ll look it up! I am waiting for the okay from Tilly and Jared to post pics and the 5 minute highlight video. They wanted to make sure family in NZ got to see it before I posted it here. Hopefully I can post them next week.