Camping in at the Wichita Wildife Refuge... Take 2

Earlier this year over Spring Break the kiddos and I took a short camping trip to the Wichita Federal Wildlife Refuge down near Fort Sill. It was gorgeous during the day, but we froze our tushies off that night. I think the thermometer in the van read 38 degrees when I finally turned it on about 6:30 a.m. Needless to say, it was a rough night. And a long one.

We decided to make another attempt over Fall Break last week. The weather was much better, which meant by the time we got there all of the campsites that had electricity were taken. Fortunately we were at least able to get one right next to the bathrooms. Considering we had a newly housebroken potty trained kiddo, this was a Very Good Thing.

We stayed two nights, did a couple of nice hikes, saw great scenery, and some really cool animals. Here's a list of some memorable things from this camping trip:

• A couple of deer took up residence in the grassy area next to our campsite the first evening. 
• I almost hit a deer and some wild turkeys in the van, despite following the speed limit. 
• We got to watch some longhorns and a prairie dog cross the road.
• Olivia almost stepped on a snake during our first hike.
• I had terrible anxiety on the first hike every time Maddox started climbing on rocks anywhere near the edge of the gorge.
• The stars were awesome, and we got to see the Milky Way above us.
• Kelsey accidentally burned Connor with the tip of her fire-poking stick (which was burning and red, of course) and Connor spent the rest of the time trying to guilt-trip her about it. 
• The wind picked up about 4 or 5 a.m. our last morning there, and we got to sleep in a cozy tent with the trees rustling all around us.
• We drove to the top of Mount Scott and while listening to "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons.

And now for the pictures... We were a little sparse on our photo-taking, but we ended up with a few good ones. This first set were taken by Olivia:

The beautiful view from our campsite.

The Lost Lake (near the beginning of the Kite Trail)

The dam (on the Kite Trail)

The view from our resting spot (Kite Trail). You can see why I had anxiety attacks, right? That's a BIG and STEEP drop!

Longhorns crossing the road. There's no question who has the right of way on the Refuge roads.

It got pretty warm on Thursday afternoon, so we make a Braums run to Lawton for ice cream. We pulled in, and Olivia noticed this.

You had ONE job...

Gorgeous sunset!

View from the road on the way up Mount Scott

View from the "top of the world" (i.e. Mount Scott)

More views from the top of Mount Scott

The rest of these pics I took on my phone:

Resting along the Kite Trail

The hole that got burned in Connor's shorts from the tip of Kelsey's fire poker. Those were his favorite shorts, too...

I Can't Make This Stuff Up...

Maddox said, "Look, Mom, I whistle!"

Random Pictures

The time has come for me to start blogging again regularly.

I know you are giddy with anticipation.

I spent a bunch of time sorting pictures tonight, so the real blogging will commence tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are a few things to smile about.

Got a tissue?

Look, Mom, it's "see" food!

I'm flying!

He looks bigger in real life...

Uh-oh, we're in a saloon!

My day has just been made.

Do you have to take this picture?!

No, it's MY camera!

I'm cool, and I know it.

Sweetest. Thing. Ever.

School Blues & Profound Thoughts

Last night Kelsey was very discouraged. She has started back at public school this year, and she is not used to the teaching styles and assigned work in a regular classroom. The sheer volume of worksheets she has to do has been very daunting to her. She has been bringing home hours of homework each night because she hasn't been able to get her work done in school.

Wednesday I emailed her teacher and expressed my concerns and frustration. I really want Kelsey to be successful this year and gain confidence in her abilities. She is such a bright girl, but she hasn't been feeling that way at all. The difference between homeschool and public school in the elementary grades is HUGE, and it's a big adjustment to make the switch. Especially in 5th grade.

Yesterday as Kelsey was doing her homework, she told me how tired she was and how much she wanted things to go back like they were before. Although a part of me agreed wholeheartedly, a larger part of me felt like there is a bigger lesson to be learned here: you can't always quit just because things are hard.

When I started running some years ago, I would run on my lunch break at work. There were a number of hills (large and small) near my office, and as I ran up the hills, my legs would burn and hurt and I'd want to quit jogging and drop to a walk. But I never would let myself. I had made a deal with myself that I'd never quit while I was going uphill. I had to get to the top before I could decide how much farther I would go. As my muscled burned I would often move slower, but I would press forward and jog to the top. When I got there and the road leveled out, the relief I felt was so great that I would often run a good bit father before dropping into a walk.

As I shared this story with Kelsey, I told her that we can't quit school right now just because we are running uphill. It is hard, but I know she can do it. When the road levels out, then we can decide how much further to go.

Of course, Kelsey being Kelsey, she didn't respond the way I thought she would.

"You know, Mom, there's this trick to running uphill. You have to zigzag back and forth across the road so it isn't so tough and then you can get to the top easier."


So much for my profound thoughts.


The rest of the story is that her teacher DID email me back yesterday and the hours of homework are over. The class will start working in small groups next week based on where they are academically. and Kelsey will be given a chance to get used to the new learning format. I'm hopeful things will only go up from here.