Bear Creek Nature Center

March 27, 2019

So it was Spring Break week and I had this fantastic idea that I'd just let us do a bunch of fun things and be out of the house a lot and not worry about schoolwork. I don't follow public school schedules because FREEDOM!, but decided I could do this one. (The funny thing is that even our break activities still count as school!) Had this fantastic idea to go to the zoo. Even arranged to go with friends so it would be social for Katie. Apparently, I chose the wrong friends and I still didn't make her happy. I tell you, I'm really done with these teen behaviors she's exhibited since turning 3. I liked the friends I got for us, so too bad, Kate!

Anyway, we drove to the zoo and couldn't even get there because there were signs saying the parking lot was full and we needed to detour to Cheyenne Mountain High School to get picked up by the shuttle. Um, the line of people was 1/8 mile long and we were not going to wait. Kathryn and I promised the kids a rain check for the zoo date and took them to a park instead. We picnicked and played until kids needed to go to the bathroom, then relocated to Bear Creek Nature Center because if Colorado Springs parks have bathrooms, they're usually locked and public urination is frowned upon.

We had never been there before. It was a fun little indoor place to play and read and watch bees working on their hive. We played hide-and-seek...which meant taking turns being in the tree, under a bench, or behind a sign. But, hey! Samson was entertained with it for a long time!

After our friends left, we wanted to go explore some of the trails behind the visitor's center. It's a new thing I've learned, but if you take a group picture at the BEGINNING of an activity, smiles are better than at the END when there are pouters and kids are tired. WIN!

{Tommy, Samson, Katie, Thora, me, Dancy}

I kept promising Thora that this was a short hike, as opposed to the one we took before in Palmer Park that ended up being over 3 miles and was a bit too much for her. I kept this hike to around 1 mile and that boosted Thora's confidence. Plus, we saw deer and ended playing in a creek! Another win!

And whenever Thora got sad, I just whipped out my phone for a selfie. Good thing she isn't a diva or anything!

Deer at about 20 yards.

The deer is about 2 inches down and 1 inch in from the right.

Deer watching. They even stopped and looked up at us and continued grazing. Group of three.

To the creek!

{Katie, Tommy, Thora, Samson, Dancy}

Barefoot and balanced!

One more Thora selfie to help us finish the hike. She made it. I made it. We all did it and they learned that they can hike and not whine at me. Not that this is new information.