The Nidderdale Walk Nightmare!

Well not quite a nightmare but not the idyllic family time together I'd previously imagined it might be either. I know this must breach some kind of online code where everyone pretends to be happy and having the time of their life all the time. Sometimes it seems like hardly anyone complains on Facebook and just post all the great or positive things that happens to them. I'm guilty of it myself.

I've already posted twice on Facebook about how lovely the walk was with not a mention of the hell we endured doing it :D

For a start Erin didn't want to do the walk at all. I wanted us to all do it together though so I encouraged (persuaded/cajoled/bribed) her into doing it but in hindsight it would've been best to let her decide for herself that she didn't want to. I just sometimes get a picture in my head of how a family trip will be and assume everyone will enjoy whatever we're doing as much as I know I will. I thought maybe she'd enjoy it once we got there. It's been hard for me as the kids have gotten older to relinquish the control of being a Mum and to let them make their own choices. I'm trying to change though because I want them to be independent and know how to make good decisions themselves.

Secondly, I underestimated how hot it was going to be that day. We all got varying degrees of sunburn and not wearing a hat led to me getting sunstroke. Later that night I had the worst headache I've ever had which left me sobbing while JD held an ice pack on my head. 

During the walk Erin got a blister so she took off her shoes to walk in her socks which was fine for a while whilst we walked on grass but then we turned onto a stony path which got Erin upset as the stones hurt her feet and left me feeling quite frustrated that she wouldn't put her shoes back on. I gave her my socks for extra padding but still she wouldn't wear them. Argh!

Leigh over-reacted to every fly that flew near her. During our picnic she kept leaping up and running off because various insects were around us. But then later found a caterpillar on her leg and we had to wait while she found something suitable in the backpack to keep it in as a pet. Argh!

 JD was a paragon of patience during all this whose only flaw all day was to punch Leigh too hard while they were play-fighting which made her cry and go off in a teenagery sulk. They're friends again now though so all is well.

It was hard to feel too bad with all the beautiful views around us though and we had a good time singing songs and joking about during some of the walk. We also had a picnic that included chocolate biscuits which stopped me getting in a mood :D

I've been forced to use pictures of the walk where we look happy because really who takes pictures when things are a bit shit, haha! I should've taken pictures of the crap parts because they're part of life too and when you look back at photos you get a weirdly skewed view of your life.

It makes me feel curious how many other people hold back from posting when things aren't that great. I wish people would post and say. It'd make me feel better, honestly. :)