JB and I managed to have our kids-free outing today and it was perfect. The weather was glorious — a lovely last gasp of summer — and the hike on Tiger Mountain was gratifyingly ass-kicking (about 2000 feet straight uphill, woof). We missed the kids enough to talk about them a lot but not so much that we rushed immediately back to daycare afterwards; instead, we lolled around our sweetly silent house for a bit and leisurely ate slices of homemade apple bread — WITHOUT SHARING. Bliss.

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Always tempting fate, this guy.

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It seems hard to believe but I realized this was the first real hike I’ve been on since before I was pregnant with Riley. That’s over three years, jesus.

(Also, I seriously hate having hair that’s too short to pull back, but long enough to get all sweaty and gross.)

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The last bit of the trail before the summit, right about the point when my legs said EXCUSE ME BUT PLEASE STOP THIS INSANITY RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.

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At the top there were these birds checking us out and stealing pieces of our sandwiches, I don’t know what they were (some kind of jay? JB said he knew them only as “camp robbers”) but they were incredibly bold.

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See? Check out that Dr. Doolittle shit right there! Of course, I’m grimacing and squealing in fear because OMG BIRDS. Their scrabbly, gritchy FEET. GRAH.

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I have an incredibly awesome photo of JB from when he first held his hand out for these birds and they completely freaked him out by immediately swooping in; in it he’s sort of shrieking and running away and it is SO GREAT, but he REFUSES to let me post it. So you’ll just have to use your imagination. Remember: shrieking.

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The view from the top. Ahh.

After today’s break, I feel like my parenting reserves got refreshed in a big way. Which is a good thing, because someone in this house still looks like this:

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jouette
16 years ago

hiking rocks. beaing close to nature totally recharges the soul. love ur blog & ur pix.

Julie
16 years ago

What a beautiful view! Having those marriage mental health days make all the difference in the world, don’t they?

Crystal
Crystal
16 years ago

I want to be that skinny.
And I want a day off to hang out with my husband w/o the kids. Whenever that happens, and its rare, we stay home and clean the house. BORING

And I love that grumpy face at the end. I have a kid like that, too.

Anne W
16 years ago

I think that the important question here is child hive…or trap?

Donna
Donna
16 years ago

If I send you some warm-out-of-the-oven-chocolate-chip-cookies, will you post that picture?

And the apple bread – Swistle’s recipe?

Niki P
Niki P
16 years ago

Oh for Fucks sake post the fucking picture. We know he is all manly in his man sandals. We wn’t think less of him.

Anonymous New York
16 years ago

Dude. I’m so buying the 30-Day shred because you look like you could kick some serious butt. You look excellent.

Glad you had a good day!

Nicole
Nicole
16 years ago

Before you see True Blood you should read the books by Charlaine Harris – the Sookie Stackhouse series. It’s a bunch of fun, and I assume HBO, being HBO, will make it all serious and sexed-up.

Kristin
Kristin
16 years ago

I just wanted to say DEAR GOD YOU LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS! I’m officially off to buy that DVD you keep talking about!

Erin
Erin
16 years ago

I hear you on the hair thing. I’m so regretting chopping mine and my kids are a bit older than yours! :-)
a day with just hubby and no kids? wow i’m jealous… can not recall the last time! sigh… congrats glad you enjoyed it!

willikat
16 years ago

i really wanna see that photo of JB. also, you are getting tinier and tinier.

Mel
Mel
16 years ago

Wow…does Riley’s expression every look familiar! Although I think my youngest may actually tense up a little more than him! Anyhow, I completely feel your pain! I actually stayed late at work tonight, to get caught up, but I ended really enjoying the alone time in a big empty office. Is that pathetic or what!

OH and I’m watching Fringe right now, but I’m a few hours ahead of you so I won’t spoil anything…I’m just curious to see what you think.

Heather
16 years ago

I want to see the shrieking picture too. What do we have to do to see it?

Plus so jealous of your date-day. I want one with my hubby, sadly it probably won’t/can’t happen until mid-October :( I will just live vicariously through yours.

Alexandra
Alexandra
16 years ago

I’m sorry but I just have to say that at first glance at the photo of Riley (who is cute and adorable) I thought for a second his T-Shirt said LITTLE PRICK …. oh I am going to HELL!!!

:) PS You are TOO DAMN SKINNY (that was my jealous voice)!

Emily
16 years ago

GAH that looks beautiful. I swear, I’m a northwestern girl at heart. I’ve never even BEEN to that section of the country, but something tells me I’d never want to leave. It’s simply gorgeous.

LLL
LLL
16 years ago

SHOW THE SHRIEKING PICTURE! And my God you are insanely, movie-star like, jealousy-induingly, buff and thin.

brenna
brenna
16 years ago

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=101693

I have several of these, and they’re great for short hair. I even wear them while I’m working out, to keep the hair out of my face. And they’re cute!

JennyM
JennyM
16 years ago

I thought you were *supposed* to cultivate an expression of extreme suspicion when manning your hive/cave/lair, though.

And how awesome do you look, Outdoorsy McHikerson? (Going home to run now, yes.)

C.
C.
16 years ago

From the look on his face, you’d think the letters hidden by the wrinkles on his shirt were r and i.

E!
E!
16 years ago

What a GORGEOUS spot to be hiking! I like that the birds swoop down but I’ve seen “The Birds” too many times to be ok with that.

Annie
16 years ago

Hello. I just have to say you look so strong and so sexy in those photos. Not to mention happy!