Wenatchee Mom Blog - August 2017

August 2017

BACK TO SCHOOL STRAWBERRY KIWI

FRENCH TOAST

•

CAMPING MEMORIES

• PREGNANT

PARENTING

•

TRAILBLAZING

WITH KIDS

• AND MORE! Supplement to

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wenatchee Mom Blog

Inside

It’s That Time Again

PAGE 2 It’s that time again PAGE 4 Strawberry kiwi stuffed French toast PAGE 5 Camping memories with little ones PAGE 6 Pregnant parenting PAGE 7 A season to prepare PAGE 8 Lessons learned from road trips PAGE 9 Always be the months PAGE 10-11 Trailblazing with kids PAGE 12 More than a mother

by Kelli Scott Wenatchee Mom Blog Editor

Cover photo: Christine Potter Photography Publication designer: Nancy Phillips

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t may still be summer out there right now, but in just a few more weeks, the weather will turn, the leaves will fall and our children will once again pile into that big yellow bus and head back to school. How are all of you parents out there feeling about this? Are your kids signed up for music and dance yet? Ready for all that homework? The after-school activities? The BFF drama?

The women and men who write for Wenatchee Mom Blog are right there with you, parenting kids of all ages and writing about their experiences every day on the blog. Whatever ages your kids are, wherever they are in school, Wenatchee Mom

Blog has the stories that will make you laugh and keep you informed this school year.

Our bloggers share their stories and pass along local resources they love. We post fun videos and articles about parenting and life from around the web. On Thursdays, we post a list of local events, so you always know about fun stuff happening around town before it happens.

We’re here for you all year long, at wenatcheemomblog.com and Wenatchee Mom Blog on Facebook. Welcome back to the school year, moms and dads. It’s going to be a great one!

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Questions about blog content? Contact Mom Blog Editor, Kelli Scott, at kscott@wenatcheeworld.com or 509-661-5205.

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Questions about advertising? Contact Advertising Director, Andrea Andrus, at andrus@wenatcheeworld.com or 509-664-7136.

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wenatchee Mom Blog

BLOG FEATURE

Strawberry kiwi stuffed French toast

h

ere in the Northwest, we are so lucky to have such an abundance of yummy fruit and vegetables growing right in our backyards (thank you farmers!) as well as a wealth of talented bakers, canners and ranchers in our communities.

Nowhere is this more evident than our local farmers markets.

Tiffany Sukola

I love visiting the Moses Lake Farmers Market in the summer months and seeing firsthand the amount of local goodies available to us. I usually walk away with some basic produce and a few specialty items (hello Pies by Ronna!) but I was inspired on my last trip to the farmers market to go beyond that. So I challenged myself to make a meal using as many local ingredients as I could, which technically is two challenges in itself. Side note — I’m not as skilled in the kitchen as I wish I was. However, I was smart enough to land myself a chef for a boyfriend so I wouldn’t have to rely on takeout for the rest of my life. When I told him about my meal challenge, he of course graciously offered to do all the cooking for me. I’m so lucky.

However, for this feast I wanted to at least do a majority of the work in the kitchen. And I think I did pretty good on this one.

Wenatchee Mom Blog Contributor

Sunday brunch is my absolute favorite meal.

I think it may be because I can get away with drinking either lots of coffee or lots of mimosas — or both. Either way, I look forward to it each week, so it only made sense that I would create some sort of breakfast dish for this challenge. I set out for the farmers market on a Saturday morning without a grocery list, which is something I rarely do. I figured I would let the food sell itself. And boy, did it ever. I left the market with a package of natural hickory smoked maple bacon from Pure

A farmers market-inspired dish Country Pork in Ephrata, a loaf of English Muffin Bread from Phil and Sally’s Bakery in MiltonFreewater, Oregon, a jar of kiwi jam from Bev Be Jammin’ in Ephrata and some organic strawberries.

I thought about doing a simple breakfast of bacon, eggs, fruit and toast. But you know what’s better than toast? French toast! And what’s better than French toast? Stuffed French toast! Yumm! I also stopped by Leprekon Harvest Foods on my way home for some cream cheese for my stuffed French toast filling as well as some eggs and milk. (You might be able to get local eggs and dairy products at your farmers market and if so, I encourage you to do so.)

The next morning, I got right to work. I sliced my bread into half-inch thick slices and set that aside. I sliced my strawberries and put half of them (roughly one cup) into a bowl for my filling.

To that bowl I added 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and two generous tablespoons of kiwi jam. Stir until well combined. Now comes the fun part!

Take two slices of bread and fill with some the strawberry kiwi cream cheese concoction, press together and set aside. As my boyfriend told me, you can’t really mess this part up. I put the same amount of filling as I would if I were making an egg salad sandwich if that helps you picture the desired amount. Whisk two eggs, half a cup of

milk, a teaspoon of vanilla and cinnamon together in a separate bowl. Dunk each sandwich into the egg mixture and be sure to coat each side. Place in a pan and cook until both sides are golden. Top each piece of French toast with some of the remaining sliced strawberries, powdered sugar and syrup. And that’s it for the “hard” part. Cook your eggs and bacon to your liking ( I love extra crispy bacon and over medium eggs) and dig in!

Tiffany is a food blogger and hobby photographer living in Moses Lake. She originally hails from Guam, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. Although it was hard to leave home, she traded the beach for the mountains and moved to the Pacific Northwest to pursue a degree in journalism. That was 10 years ago, and it has turned out to be the best decision she’s ever made. She spends most of her time in the kitchen with her boyfriend Cotey and documents their creations on her blog, hecooksieat.com. You’ll also find her at the lake when the weather is nice, or at her favorite coffee shop.

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Creative, athletic, artistic kids excel here. We make learning easier.

113 Second St. Suite 100 Wenatchee, WA 98801 Phone: 509-662-9121 www.focalpointwenatchee.com

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

BLOG FEATURE

Camping memories with little ones

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he goal for myself and my family this spring and summer was to get out backpacking and camping as much as possible. This had to be accomplished weekend warrior style since some of us work the 9-5 Monday through Friday gig, sigh. I have a 4-year-old daughter, with no family nearby to babysit, so all of these activSarah Shaffer ities include my squirt.

Wenatchee Our first camping trip Mom Blog for the season was to Contributor Steamboat Rock State Park at Banks Lake, WA. Located about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Wenatchee this was a great spot to go with the weather still warming up in the

Valley. No bugs, very few rattlesnakes seen (my husband accidentally peed on a rattler in a bush), great temps in the high desert and a plethora of wild flowers. Steamboat Rock State Park offers 13.1 miles of trails, swimming beaches and a playground so it is a fantastic spot for families with young kids. While we were there we rock climbed (great climbing at Highway Rock located 3 miles from the State Park), Stand Up Paddle boarded, did some trail running on the top of Steamboat Rock and mountain biked.

Our second camping trip was to Alta Lake State Park near Pateros about 1 hour from Wenatchee.

This spot was fantastic for canoeing, hiking, swimming and hammock lounging. While we were there it was a somewhat crowded campground with a party atmosphere so I suggest going in the off-season.

Here are some tips I have for camping with a small child: • Go in groups with other families. This way the kids can somewhat entertain each other which means

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you may get a few minutes to talk with adults.

• Have a bargaining chip in the evening that you can use as a bribe for your kiddo to listen to your requests throughout the day. Our bargaining chip was s’mores.

• Organize your car if you are car camping. We decided a bin system was needed to keep track of our supplies for the weekend. We now have a large bin for “the kitchen supplies/food” a smaller bin for “toiletries” and a small bin for our “dog supplies.” The dog supply bin is dog food, water bowl, fleece warm sweater deal, leash, collar and long tether leash. The bin system was pretty inexpensive. You can get some larger plastic bins for about $5-$9 at Target or Office Depot.

Here is a list of supplies to bring if car camping: – Big water jug with spout. Fill up before trip.

– Beach Towel.

– Lighter and/or matches.

– Cups or mugs, bowls, knives, forks and spoons.

– Cooking stove.

– Pot(s) for cooking.

– Food.

– Tent.

– Sleeping pad(s), air mattress, cot or something else to sleep on.

– Sleeping bag(s).

– Tarp to keep holes from forming in the bottom of your tent.

– Foldable camp chairs.

– Headlamps or flashlights and camp light.

– Clothes, think layers.

– Warm hat (beanie) and sun hat (baseball or wide brimmed).

– Spring puffy, insulated jacket or warm jacket for the nights and early mornings.

– Swimsuit(s).

– Sunscreen.

– Bug spray.

– Chapstick.

(This post originally appeared on WenatcheeOut doors.org. When she’s not adventuring with her family, mom blogger Sarah Shaffer is the executive director of Wenatchee Outdoors.)

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wenatchee Mom Blog

BLOG FEATURE

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his past December we learned we were expecting Baby #2. The excitement was unreal — I had been carrying around a deepseated fear that it wasn’t going to happen for us again so the thought of my son becoming a big brother shot me to the moon. And then, just as quickly as I found myself floating in Rachel Bullis the clouds, the reality of Wenatchee pregnancy hit me with a true Mom Blog punch to the gut. ApproContributor priately enough, the onset of my nausea, vomiting and extreme fatigue aligned perfectly with the uprising of some new thorny demons in the life of my two-and-a-half-year-old. Someone was ready to take toddlerhood to a whole new level, and Mommy’s head in the toilet bowl wasn’t going to stand in the way.

Being pregnant while parenting a toddler with an endless supply of energy and obstinacy is no joke. Here are some of my favorite experiences so far: Potty training. What better time to be constantly discussing and monitoring the bodily functions of a tiny human when you can barely control your own?

Playtime. Nothing twists my mother’s soul more than hearing my son ask to play with me multiple times a day. Yes, I want nothing more than to feel like I can chase you around the house following the strangely cute storylines you create with your vibrant, tireless imagination.

Unfortunately, Mommy can barely lift her head off the couch. She probably just got home from work and is exhausted from trying not to puke in the one shared bathroom all day. All Mommy can play for the foreseeable future is dead.

Personal space. The rough-and-tumble nature of toddler boys has been illuminated for me over the past several months. Don’t get me wrong — I love hugs and snuggles from my son more than anything, but elbows and headbutts to the tummy are a different story. (How do we give Mommy hugs? With a running start and a head to the uterus? Sure, why not.) Although mostly unintentional, these erratic bumps and jabs can really make a lady start to feel like a worn out punching bag, battered and bruised with half love and half iron toddler will.

Meals. I used to prepare perfectly portioned three-course breakfasts for my son, even on workdays. After the nausea monster hit, it quickly shifted to whatever I could pour into a snack cup.

Cheerios? Old standby. Sliced apple with animal

Pregnant parenting Embracing the 9-month storm

Photo by Jordan Head of Ascend Graphics in Leavenworth

crackers? That’ll work. Cold toaster waffle? Gross, but okay. Even now that the nausea has calmed down, I still find myself falling back on the trusty snack cup on especially harried work mornings.

Never would I have imagined feeling like “Mom of the Year” when pulling out the waffle iron and whipping up some batter from a box.

Discipline. This is by far the most exhausting part of the whole deal. Our little monkeys need boundaries and consistency is crucial during such formative years. Throughout this entire pregnancy it has been a daily temptation of mine to let my son off easy when it comes to things like manners, picking up toys and bedtime. With a fetus simultaneously pushing up on my lungs and down on my bladder, I only have so much patience (and oxygen) to expend.

Throw in some additional hormonally-driven emotions and suddenly I feel like a cantan-

kerous old woman who should be sitting in a worn-out rocker shouting at the TV during “The Price is Right” instead of playing wife and mother to my beautiful family. Consistent parenting is challenging, especially when all you want to do is Netflix and sleep.

Heat. During the dog days of summer, I can’t reach my toes, and hunger and heartburn are in a never-ending battle for my attention, along with my son who can now sense that change is coming. My full-time work schedule doesn’t allow me the luxury of slapping on my sweet one-piecer and splashing in the pool all day.

Instead, allow me to slip into something less comfortable and plod off to work while the morning sun roasts me from the inside out, leaving my well-meaning child pleading for me through the doggy door as I drive away. Being in your third trimester during the summer is tough

— having 40 pounds of love hanging off you and (almost) the same amount added to your innards is a real treat. If you see me around town and want to comment on any sort of glow, please know that I am sweating profusely and have been since May. (I’m also experimenting with non-aluminum deodorant, so sorry.)

Being a good mother and decent human during pregnancy often feels like a constant struggle. There are moments with my toddler when I just want to sit down and cry — and I often do. However, it is through these seemingly insurmountable moments that I’ve learned (and am still learning) a few things: 1. Perfection is baloney — kids are resilient, floors eventually get swept, and those extra episodes of “Paw Patrol” are not going to makeor-break anyone (except my sanity, on occasion).

2. It’s good for your babies to see you smile — so sometimes laughter is the best response when they accidentally pee on the floor or call your name 20 times from the other room. You’ll know when it’s the right move.

3. If it weren’t for my husband none of us would be alive.

4. Life is full of seasons, and this too shall pass.

And let’s not forget: We’re having a baby! The plan for the rest of this pregnancy is to laugh when I want to cry, shower my son with love (always) and praise (when applicable), take it easy on the chore chart, and lean into the joy and blessing of a bringing a new life into the world.

(Oh, and I may try to freeze my bras…does that really work?)

Rachel has called the Wenatchee Valley home since the age of four. It is here where she’s had the pleasure of meeting her husband of eight years and raising their 3-year-old son, Owen, who is soon to become Big Brother to a little sister. Rachel works full time downtown as a Membership Specialist for the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, where becoming connected to a new side of her hometown has inspired her to immerse herself even further into this growing, vibrant community. Some of her favorite things to do are family trips to Pybus Public Market, jogging the Loop Trail, keeping her plants alive, and, most recently, using the joy she finds in writing to give blogging a go. You’ll likely always find Rachel with both her toddler and her high-energy border collie in tow because fully embracing the madness of motherhood is secretly more fun.

Wenatchee Mom Blog

Thursday, August 10, 2017

BLOG FEATURE

A season to prepare

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onight, I am sitting alone on our deck, amidst strands of gleaming white patio lights and a yard of fresh cut green grass. The air is calm and crisp, and the crickets are noisy. This scene really never happens.

I am making the time, and everyone has conveniently allowed me this peace. I am a mother to six children. At Jeri Smith the exact time that I knew Wenatchee I was completely out of the Mom Blog “little child” stage, I became Contributor pregnant. Twice, actually.

Scarlett is now 3, and Rain is nearing her 2nd birthday. My older children are 16, 12, and 11. My sweet step-daughter is 8.

I think that if September had a personality, it would be sarcastic and a little bossy. Last week, my backyard was adorned with heaps of rainbow colored beach towels and cartoonthemed swimsuits that smiled at me as they dangled off of tree branches. Two duffel bags still sit stubbornly in our hallway, overflowing with summer reading and in no hurry for return back to our valley’s public library.

September is already here. School has begun. I look at my calendar and at times I am dizzy with panic. Volleyball and football have started for our middle and high schoolers, AWANA and youth group begin tomorrow. Our treasured garden is producing less and less, letting us know that it

will need to be cleared soon.

We will put away this, and put away that — carefully storing things for safe-keeping until spring. I will gently fold our girls’ cute summer outfits and store them in bins, right before reaching into the textured heap of fall and winter clothes and organizing them into dresser drawers. There are one hundred and fifty-two more unique things you and I, as mothers, will do for our families to prepare them for the new season. Then, when the cold air arrives to stay, and our toddlers are breathing sticky, hot breath all over our glass windows and pleading to go outside, we will say aloud that fall is over and winter is here.

It is winter that whispers understanding and comfort. The cold months allow us to rid ourselves of the emotions and things that have not been good to us in the year that has passed.

It is the season of intimacy and reminiscence.

So when the demanding pace of September

days are overwhelming my spirit, I will take a deep breath and remember that I am in a season of preparation.

Fellow mothers, we are building the golden steps for new beginnings. A time of rest will always be on the other side of chaos. Cheers to a brand new school year, and remember to be kind to yourself.

Jeri and her husband are raising six children, ages 1 to 16. She is birth-mother to five, step-mother to one. Jeri was born in Wenatchee and has lived in and around the valley her entire life. She has grown to appreciate the culture and array of outdoor charm that our valley offers us. Currently, she is a stay-at-home mom and college student, studying multiple areas of business. Jeri has always been in love with the spirit of Motherhood. She is a growing naturalist, obsessed with the idea of organic living, a free-spirit, dedicated to her faith and passionate about the relationships she has — especially with other women. Jeri enjoys running, working in her yard and garden, decorating, reading, and cooking with her husband.

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wenatchee Mom Blog

BLOG FEATURE

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Lessons learned from a nearly 3,000-mile road trip...with kids

ife really is about the journey.

And this spring I discovered that road trips — even ones where you thought the destination was the whole reason for going — are mostly about the journey as well.

The last time my family of five went to Southern to visit my Michelle California husband’s family, we flew.

McNiel Sure it’s expensive, but Wenatchee it was shorter and way Mom Blog easier on little kids than Contributor a multi-day car trip with long stretches of driving.

This year, though, our kids are a little older.

They entertain themselves a little easier in the car, and it’s been awhile since any of them had gotten car sick.

So we thought we’d brave our first long family road trip.

When we first started planning for the two-week trip, I did the first thing I always do when I’m trying something new — Google it to find out what other people do! There’s a ton of advice out there for road tripping with kids.

Some good. Some not so good. One thing we latched on to was the idea of driving through the night and letting the kids sleep through large portions of the trip. We thought that would be easiest on the kids. So why not?

We originally planned to drive straight from East Wenatchee to San Diego with stops for meals and stretching our legs. Thankfully we nixed that idea and opted for a two-night stopover along the way. We stuck with the drive all night idea, though, departing after my husband got off work at 6 p.m.

That first night was nothing short of living hell.

Long hours of driving through central Oregon and northern California in pitch blackness while the kids slept uncomfortably in the back seat.

There were few places to stop and stretch our legs or take a potty break. The yellow and white paint stripes on the roadway started to look like a crazy video game. Neither of us slept while the other drove because we were afraid the other would fall asleep at the wheel.

We’d given so much thought to the impact the trip would have on the kids and not any thought to the impact it would have on us parents!

When we reached Santa Cruz, we were too tired to do anything fun. We collapsed into bed and slept while the kids watched cartoons in

our hotel room. Once we caught a few hours of sleep, though, that two-day layover ended up being one of the best parts of our trip. Eating overpriced food on the boardwalk, hiking in the redwood forest, beach combing at Natural Bridges State Park, exploring my husband’s alma mater UC-Santa Cruz, introducing our children to a great used book store and local coffee shop. It was great family bonding time with just the five of us — away from home, our friends, all the demands of our daily lives — before we reached Southern California and all the activities with extended family.

As we got back on the road to southern California, we opted for an early-morning departure. We went to bed early the night before and had a decent night’s sleep. The kids still slept a few hours in the car, but we didn’t subject them to a whole night of it. We brought along electronics — iPads and computer — but didn’t want the kids to be plugged in the whole trip. So we limited them to a couple of half-hour sessions. In between, we listened to audiobook of The Hobbit we got from the library, played the road-sign alphabet and I Spy games, talked about the scenery we were passing and how it differed from home, listened to music, and planned a long ice-cream break in Santa Barbara before diving into L.A. traffic.

We had planned the all-night driving routine for our return trip, but opted for the early-tobed/early-to-rise idea instead. We got the kids up at 4 a.m., nestled them into the backseat half asleep, and they snoozed until somewhere in central California. We took a long breakfast break, then powered through to Ashland, Ore., where we planned a two-day break and vacation debriefing with just the five of us.

It was an amazing trip that hopefully created lasting memories.

So, here are some of my lessons learned: 1. Let your kids help plan the trip. Give them a range of options for activities and let them choose one thing that’s important for them to do/see.

2. Don’t. Drive. Through. The. Night. It’s hard on the drivers, it’s not restful for the kids, and that awake-time on the road can be valuable stuff.

3. Enjoy the journey. Don’t get too hung up on being somewhere by a certain time (unless you’re going to miss the last ferry if you don’t).

When the drive from Santa Cruz to San Diego was taking longer than expected and we were going to hit L.A. traffic in the mid afternoon, we opted to hop off the highway at Santa Barbara for a long ice cream break. That meant getting to grandma’s house late, but it was a sanitysaver for us.

4. I printed out sections of maps of our entire journey for the kids, so they could keep track of where we were, point out landmarks such as mountains and lakes, and locate cities on the map as we drove through them.

5. I packed all the things we’d need for our two days in Santa Cruz in one bag (a couple changes of clothes, swimsuits and goggles for the hotel pool, flip-flops for the beach) so that we wouldn’t have to unpack all our suitcases.

6. On our travel days, we limited the number of stops, but allowed plenty of time for them to stretch our legs, use the bathroom, and get the wiggles out.

7. When we’d pass interesting sites along

the side of the road, we’d look them up on my phone to find out more about them.

8. I downloaded a trivia app on my phone and we took turns asking questions.

9. If there’s a movie or two the kids really want to see, hold off letting them watch it on Netflix or DVD until the trip.

10. Get an audiobook from the library.

11. Don’t schedule every minute of your trip.

It’s tempting, especially if it’s your only vacation all summer and you want to cram in as much as you can. Some of the best moments of our vacation were unstructured play time with cousins or cartoon watching in the hotel room (we don’t have cable at home, so this was a treat for my kids).

12. Build in some hang out time with just your nuclear family, when you have nowhere special to be and no one to see. It’s invaluable time when you’re away from the demands of your daily life at home.

Bon Voyage!

Michelle is a lifelong Wenatchee Valley resident who worked 28 years as a newspaper reporter and is now public relations manager for the North Central Regional Library. She is mom to three wonderfully rambunctious young children, two dogs, four bunnies and five honey bee colonies.

She’s also a pastor’s wife, Sunday School teacher and youth group leader. In her spare time (whatever that is) she loves to hike, read, dabble in photography and play hockey.

Wenatchee Mom Blog

Thursday, August 10, 2017

BLOG FEATURE

Always be the months

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ast weekend my daughter turned two years old. I remember everything about the night she was born: how all day I had known the contractions were real, timing them after dinner and calling the midwife, being expected to give a family medical history to the nurse at the hospital when there’s a bowling ball raging against my hips, my dose of Fentanyl Lorna Rose having wear off and begging for a Wenatchee second, just to be told that Mom Blog no, it was too late, pushing Contributor her out using every inch of my being, and then savoring every second of the Golden Hour. Yup, it’s all right there at the top of my memory, like sea foam.

Her hair is turning a dark blonde with some red. She’s tall for her age, and slender, although she can really put away the food. When she smiles, which she does often, I can see she is losing her underbite, which the dentist said she would. I think her underbite is adorable, but I guess looking less like a bulldog is a good thing. Her walking and speech have been delayed, but in the past couple weeks she is closing the gap rapidly. Lately when I nurse her before bed she gives me a sassy smile as she sucks, and her eyes wrinkle into crescent moons, and if she’s lying on her left side I can see her dimple.

After two you can no longer say your baby’s age in months. Because after two, no one cares about the months. After all, no one goes around saying, “my son is 31 months” or “my daughter is 42 months.” Just like you don’t give your height in inches, except maybe at the doctor’s office. The best you can hope for later this year is being able to say that she’s two and a half. Unless there’s a specific concern about development, measurements for milestones

tend to generalize to six-month periods or longer. Clothing sizes fizzle out to 2T and 3T and beyond. No more of the 18-month stuff.

These are cold, unsentimental reminders that time is racing on, leaving behind soft baby coos, first “Mama”s, and first baths together in the big tub. No longer is she content to sleep on your chest where she snuggles up to your heartbeat – she wants to play tip-overs on the bed. No longer are you the most reassuring thing to her – her stuffed Boo is. It’s heartbreaking, but amazing too – your last baby is growing up.

So you settle for the half-year demarcation, out loud anyway. Inside she will always be the months.

You don’t harbor any illusions about what you’re in for; you also have a 4-year old. He’s tenacious, sensitive, intelligent, terribly willful.

You went through the Terrible 3s and the More Terrible 4s with him. So far Sister is headed in the same direction. In fact, the other day you glimpsed the Terrible 2s. Already. Oy. But still, you distrust the days because they are deceptive, and time is a thief. Days claim

they are slow and churning: the disarray of breakfast, hovering to make sure she and her brother eat instead of feed the dog, the demands of finding lost shoes and stocking the diaper bag and wow baby, you pooped again? and Big Brother, don’t push your sister, the constant and grinding discipline and the nonexistent naps and the laundry piles and “No! Me!” and she has to start all over because you made a move to assist her with her sandal. But folded within the blur are the “I love you’s”, the sibling hugs, the unassisted steps, and silly dance parties. You curse the moments that repeat themselves over and over, and you chase the moments that don’t ever come back. Time lies to you that way, and coaxes you into thinking it will go on forever, particularly in moments of boiling, seething anger and exhaustion. Then pretty soon you are running after it, screaming that you want back the first smile, the belly button discovery, the newborn smell. You want it all back.

Just for a little while.

Why does the good stuff go so fast?

Always be the months.

Lorna and her husband Nathan have enjoyed calling Wenatchee home for the past eight years. Together they have a toddler son and an infant daughter. Lorna blogs and manages social media for clients, as well as writes memoir, essay, and poetry. She sits on the board for Write On The River, a nonprofit that supports literary arts in North Central Washington. She can also be found walking her dog, hiking, snowshoeing, and dreaming about one day biking again. Lorna grew up outside Chicago and came to Washington via Arizona, Colorado, California, and Alaska.

210 Valley Mall Parkway, East Wenatchee

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10 Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wenatchee Mom Blog

BLOG FEATURE

Trailblazing with kids

s

pring break marked our first hike of the season. My three girls (6, 3 and 1) and I joined two of their aunties and some cousins.

I have to admit, I was expecting it to go really poorly, but it didn’t! MY THREE YEAR OLD made it from the WRAC parking lot all the way up Jacobson Preserve, to the big bluff Stephanie Ross just below Saddle Rock.

Wenatchee And back. She wasn’t Mom Blog carried. Not once. I was so Contributor impressed!

That’s when it dawned on me that I might be figuring out how to develop young hikers. I mean, I’m no expert. In reality, there were a few challenges, which I’ve learned to expect. You can skip to #20 of this article for a run-down of the mishaps on this particular hike.

But first, here are some tips that I’ve put together, along with a few other Wenatchee Mom Bloggers – Marisol Woodward, Elizabeth Jones and Alison Talbot – for hiking with the littles.

Please feel free to share this with other moms.

We need as much trail-wisdom as possible, so we can really enjoy the journey; being out there in these beautiful foothills and mountains with our kids!

1. Show your excitement! Kids pick up on their parent’s attitudes and dispositions, so if you want them to be hikers, show them that you are motivated to be one, too. You don’t have to be a pro. And I’m just going to be transparent and add that it’s ok if you whine about your toes going numb like I do on occasion…but it is important to stay upbeat and have fun.

2. Get out there when they’re babes. Find a pack or wrap that feels great and puts most of the weight on your hips. Different seasons call for different kinds of carriers, as well. Keep baby close in the fall/winter/early spring, and use try a framed pack to keep babe cool in the summer. I love using my moby and then I switch to the ergo when they are old enough to ride on my back. Alison says the deuter kids comfort 2 is awesome! It’s fun to attach a little toy like a waffle ball to the pack with a laniard so that baby can fiddle around and play while she enjoys the view from way up there. But remember: since baby isn’t hiking, baby isn’t going to be as warm as you are. Ever. So make sure they’re wearing an extra layer, and take care of the extremities, too: socks, mittens, or hat.

3. Speaking of layers…clothes are an important part of the hiking experience. Dress your child in

20 tips to raise hikers

Elizabeth Jones photo

something comfortable and light. Make sure it fits well. Nobody likes to hike in skinny jeans or pants that sag too much. Layers are important, but don’t put so much on them that you’re carrying sweaters and jackets and hats by the end of the hike and they’re just running down the trail in their skivvies. You get what I mean!

4. Hats can be very helpful. IF your child will tolerate one! Something with a visor is great, so their face is shielded from the sun without having to wear sunglasses, and especially so you don’t have to rub copious amounts of greasy sun screen on their face and risk it running into their eyes or mouth. My daughter LOVES her Elsa baseball hat for this reason, but Cashmere mom Kara Meloy’s Little Sun Hat line is a great, local option.

5. Shoes. OK, I know I’m talking about clothing a lot, but it matters. Good shoes are a must, or you’ll be carrying your whimpering child a lot more than you bargained for. This can get expensive, since kids growing out of shoes so quickly. But thankfully, they don’t always wear shoes out before they move on to the next size.

We’ve enjoyed quite a few hand-medown Keens and Tevas through the years. Sometimes you can get a great find at a thrift store, or at the winter temperature sale at American Shoe Shop. I highly recommend investing in some Smartwool toddler socks and littleRUTZ moccs as well. Moccasins are an extremely comfortable, and weather-proof option for little hikers.

6. Bring LOTS of snacks. I mean, a bajillion.

Have I mentioned something about snacks yet,

because snacks should be number one! I once hiked with another mom who lured her child with cheerios. It was great. He had high morale, and we could always catch up with them if we lagged behind! All we had to do was follow the O’s…I recommend stuff like fruit leather, jerky, nut/ seed bars, carrot sticks, dried mango or apricot… or whatever they like. But bring stuff that will give them lots of good energy. Although I’ve been known to stow a few lifesavers in my pocket just in case I need to bring out the “big guns”, I’d recommend you keep simple sugars out of the backpack.

7. MUST Bring water (and keep some in the car for the ride home). Hydration is important. I have three children, and one water bottle doesn’t cut it anymore. I’m going to need to dig out the camelback. “Hippie Gatorade” is this new amazing thing that Alison told me about: water + 1/2 lemon (or lime) + pinch of sugar (I like maple syrup, myself) and salt. This totally helps nursing mamas keep up their milk supply despite sweating buckets!

8. Give them something to carry, too. It’s good for them; develops empathy and a work ethic. In fact, once my kids are about 2, and walking on the trail themselves, they pack in their own diaper gear or an extra change of clothes/layer. Another kid carries the lunch/snack pack. I’m usually wearing a baby, myself.

9. OK, now that you’re dressed and ready to hit the trails, Learn to embrace the child’s pace.

They’re going to want to sit down and play in the dirt at some point. Serious. Cancel all other

plans. You won’t have fun if you have a deadline.

Throw a meal in the crock pot before you go, so dinner will be a cinch and you can focus on just enjoying the hike. When you get home, you’ll have a great meal waiting, and most likely everyone will have a huge appetite to go with it, if they haven’t already fallen asleep in the car!

10. Relish the little wonders of this Earth.

They lie around every corner and will keep them motivated to move forward, especially if it’s low to the trail and in their line of vision. High interest conversations about the colors of flowers and interesting rocks lead to high morale. It’s great to take along a ziplock and bring home some relics to remember the hike by. Stopping for a rest frequently allows everyone a chance to look around to observe. Be sure to remark on the sights, how far you’ve gotten, where you’re headed, and how pleased you are with their hard work.

11. Imagination gets you places. I’m convinced that my three year old got so far up Jacobsen Preserve because for at least 50 percent of the hike she was “Princess Sofia hiking up the North Mountain to meet with Elsa.” Yep. I just had to remember to keep my head in the game, and not to call her Alyssa my mistake, or I got a lecture!

12. Hike in a mixed-age group. My daughters usually do better when they’re hiking with other kiddos. Their cousins are almost all older than them, and despite the difference in leglength, they seem to convert into a little pack of trail runners! If someone lags behind, either someone with the energy of Hercules doubles back, or one of us old folks is still there to keep them company. They learn the realities of hiking this way. Some of us are sprinters, some are mules.

Others lose their morale if they’re not snug in the middle, so they never feel left behind. Usually, you rotate positions. Let them experience these same principles from an early age.

13. Take pictures. It doesn’t have to be planned or posed, just something that will help you remember the hike. Better yet, have your child take the picture, so you can remember it from their point of view!

14. Choose well-defined trails. Sage Hills is simple, sandy, narrow, and even a bit depressed into the ground. Going off the trail is nearly impossible! Castlerock and Jacobson Preserve have a lot of bends to keep it interesting. Devil’s Gulch is WIDE – we can hold hands and hike without tripping over each other’s feet. Clara Lake adds some challenging elevation and different flora and fauna, but it is still just three miles when all’s said and done. Squilchuck State Park has some shady little trails in the woods that we

Wenatchee Mom Blog

Thursday, August 10, 2017 11

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frequent on the hottest summer days. Again, we picked these hikes because the trails are all well defined, and our kids feel secure walking on them.

15. Teach trail etiquette by example. Say hello to people. Coach them to step to the side when a mountain bike, dirt bike, horse, or another hiker is passing by. Show them which trails are closed for reclamation. Talk about erosion, litter management, and other principles of good hikers as you do it yourself.

16. Consistency is key. My husband and I stick with familiar trails so that our kids can build their skills and stamina in an enjoyable, predictable setting. It’s no fun trying to figure out new places and new trails, where they don’t even know what lies ahead, let alone when the trail ends. So pick a few favorites, and stick to them.

17. Be ready for emergencies. Make sure someone knows where you’re going, and when.

Take your phone if you can. Most hikes in the foothills have cell range, or at least enough to send a text. In addition, it’s great to have a little first aid kit or at least a bandaid and some wipes in your pack! A bit of candy for low bloodsugar and boo-boo moments could come in handy as well. A mustard packet or turmeric bombs may help with cramping muscles.

18. Celebrate their accomplishments when you tuck them in at night. Talk to them about the hike and how far you went. Recall the times when they showed the most courage. Impress upon them the value of perseverance while also cultivating an awareness of their own strength and current abilities, so they don’t push too hard.

19. Be prepared to recoup. Lots of water, rest, short walks, and park visits around town keep them strong between hikes. Potassium and magnesium and good salt is a must for recovery.

Think bananas and almond butter for an afterhike snack. If your children’s ankles or legs get sore, rub their legs downward (as my massage therapist coached me to do: rub grown-ups toward the heart, and children away from it).

Growing pains are no fun, and healthy, leisurely

movement can help with that. Pay attention to their gait when they hike. If they seem to trip a lot, have a foot turned inward a bit awkward, or are generally complaining about something you just can’t put your finger on, you may want to consider taking them to the chiropractor. My family really enjoys Hurst Chiropractic, up Grant Rd, in East Wenatchee. We’ve been taking our girls there since they were born!

20. Roll with it: each mistake and mishap, I mean. If you made it this far, you deserve to know about the downsides to the hike that I mentioned earlier. So here goes: Some of my toes were already flaring up before the hike; actually, they were numb and threatening to cramp before we even arrived at our destination. I really should have dug out my hiking boots, because I would have enjoyed the added support. When we did arrive at our vista and sat down to eat and play, we realized there were two babies and only one diaper. One survived the hike with a slightly squishy ride in the ergo.

Lastly, my oldest had to endure the last few yards of the hike with pee-pants, because well, squatting is awkward! When we got home, we took baths, and I rubbed some essential oils on my foot. Thankfully, it felt great in the morning.

So in the end, I think I’ll be golden if I remember to purchase some new Superfeet for my hiking boots. Oh! And TWO diapers!

Stephanie has lived in Wenatchee for about a decade. She met her amazing husband, Zach, here in Wenatchee. They have been married eight years. She enjoyed teaching bilingual kindergarten with Wenatchee Public Schools, until family growth called her homeward to raise three daughters, three chickens, and 0.03 acres of edible garden! She stays connected to the neighborhood through good food, hiking, gardening, homeschooling, and doula work.

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12 Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wenatchee Mom Blog

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More than a mother

i

rarely left the house. Then, they were my whole world.

But these days my life is so full. I love my job at the newspaper, where I am stretched beyond my comfort zone every damn day. I love my friends and the nights we all sneak away from our families to drink wine and swap stories and swear. I love my husband and the bond between us that parenthood has strengthened, and the conversations we have only after the kids are asleep, or when we are driving alone in a car somewhere. And I cherish my alone time, those deliciously long afternoons when I head up into the foothills with my fat, lazy dog. All of these things make me happy. All of these things make me who I am.

like to reach my hand back and rub my children’s knees when I’m driving them around in the car. I adjust the rearview mirror to look at their faces when we talk, and shower them with lovey-dovey superlatives, and blow kisses at them until they tell me to just Stop Mommy! I can’t help Maybe it’s the workingKelli Scott it.mom guilt. Maybe I’m just Wenatchee a sap. Whatever. I overdo Mom Blog it with the praise and Editor affection and deep down I think that’s nothing but good for children. They will certainly grow up knowing they are loved.

Driving them home from preschool the other day, rubbing knees, bopping along with them to some stupid pop song, without much thought I said, “You guys are my whole world, you know that?”

And then quite immediately it struck me: No, they are not. And then: Thank God for that.

I love my daughters so much it makes my heart ache. I, like most parents, am occasionally

Thank God.

moved to tears tucking them into bed at night, smelling their faces, kissing their foreheads, my feelings for them so strong. But no, they are not my whole world. Maybe they were as newborns,

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in those first hazy, strange days of motherhood.

Breastfeeding, sleepless nights and tiny necks so fragile I had to hold up my babies’ heads in my hands. When I lost count of whole weeks and

Kelli is a newspaper writer living in Wenatchee with her husband, two young daughters and a good dog named Barkley. She checks Facebook from work to see what crafty things her stay-at-home mom friends are doing. Kelli blogs about balancing career and family life.

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