Climbing

The family took a hike up to the top of Mt. Maunganui this afternoon. It is an extinct volcanic cone. A map advised that the walk should take about 45 minutes to the top, and about 20 down. We took a little longer. The boys were sure that they would not be able to do this hike, so they were excited when we reached the top. The views are incredible. The mountain is 232 meters to the top, so that's 761 feet. You can see in some of the pictures that we took a small, rocky path the last few meters, and William was very concerned. The path was narrow, and the drop quite steep. He held on to Dad's hand, and was able to go on with him that way. I think Samuel needed to eat, but did not accept the granola bar we offered, so he was a bit irritable. I remember 10, and so does Leighton. This trip has afforded us time and numerous opportunities to reflect on our parenting decisions. We want to treat our kids the way we want to be treated. This is the Golden Rule, and how can we teach them the value of it, if we don't live it out with them. That said, they are afforded a greater degree of equality than traditional parenting allows, which has made our job harder. They speak their minds with us. Hopefully they are learning to do so with respect in spite of their feelings at times. All that said, Leighton and I are tired. We long for a dinner alone. I hate to complain when we are on vacation. It has been amazing, but I miss my husband. Today he said, "I wish we could just have a quiet dinner together." It made us sad because it's not going to happen for another couple of weeks. Ok, I am done with my lament. Love, hugs and kisses. We miss you all.