HEK Hike #3

Our third HEK hike was today. We planned a longer route, but considering my "side effects" from last week, my friends offered to carry my daughter the whole way. I also brought along the neighbor girl (the same one who helped haul the garage sale goodies) and she walked the dog, so all I had to carry was a water bottle. I'd forgotten to change out of my tennis shoes and into my hiking boots, so even my feet weren't as heavy.

Amazing how much easier a longer hike was without that extra weight.

I was still pretty overheated at the end, and a little bit headachey, but not nearly as bad as even the first week.

Afterwards, I took my daughter to her gymnastics lesson. I forgot to change out of my shoes--the ones I hadn't meant to wear on the hike--and didn't notice until I was sitting in the stands at gymnastics that I was filthy. I was almost 100% dirt all the way up to my knees.

Not to mention still bearing oh-so-attractive sweat marks on my clothing.

I don't even want to imagine what I must have smelled like. The only bonus being that I hope it was a "sweat" smell as opposed to a "couldn't get to the bathroom fast enough" smell as you couldn't really tell the difference from looking at my poor shorts.

Yes, I was looking fantastic.

Despite that, after gymnastics, I decided to go to the store. While waiting in line, my daughter, still wound up from gymnastics, was goofing around and fell. She wasn't hurt, but was a bit startled and embarrassed. She picked herself up, ran over, and grabbed onto my leg.

Then she announced, loud enough for everyone in line to hear, "OH NO, Mama! You peed in your pants!"

Acutely aware of the multiple sets of eyes now pointed directly at me, I said in the calmest voice I could manage, "No, sweetie. Mama's just all sweaty and gross."

To which the woman behind me commented, "Aren't kids GREAT?!"