We began our Ludington, MI trip with a 2 mile hike up to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse.  Please note this lighthouse picture is NOT my picture.  I totally forgot to take a picture of the lighthouse with my own camera. The hike started out good, about 1/2 way there we were thinking someone must have labeled the hike wrong because this seems to be taking FOR.EV.ER.  I don't know what it is about kids and wanting to stop and look at EVERY rock and EVERY bug they see.  Trenton found a couple "keeper" rocks that he wanted to keep in his pockets but eventually all the stopping and looking at rocks was getting old. Barak and I declared there would be no more rock hunting **(insert histerical crying here). 

Well we can't have crying on a hike, I believe it's time for a time out right here on the trail...this was relatively embarressing as people are walking by us and rubber necking to see what the problem is.  No we are not abusing our child.  He just wants to collect every rock and we can't have that!

Now that everyone is calmed down and it has taken us 40 minutes to walk a 1/2 mile we are on our way again.  Diva Ava has had enough walking and will require a constant ride on Barak's shoulders. Did I mention the kids did not have a nap and this hike took place during regular nap time?  What were we thinking?! 

It's so hot.(TJ)

I'm tired (TJ)

I'm thirsty (TJ)

I'm getting a blister (Me..seriously i was, i wore the wrong shoes for a hike)

We are almost there (barak...seriously dilusional we were not almost there)

I am getting sun burned although I didn't realize it at the time.

Trenton on top of a small dune

Ava sitting on a bench during TJ's time out, clearly she thought it was funny.

We finally made it!!!

 There were plans of us all climbing up to the top of the lighthouse, but it turns out Ava was too short and Trenton chickened out.  So I stayed with the kids and Barak went to the top. Here are a couple shots from the windows on the way up.

THe view looking down from the top of the lighthouse.  you can see us sitting on a bench in the middle of the picture.

Great! Now it's time to hike back 2 miles to the car.  Everyone is hot and cranky and tired now, this should be fun.  Who's idea was this anyway?!

Of course Diva Ava was not going to walk, and Trenton finally got a clue that it wasn't fair that he had to walk too. So Barak carried them both.

This lasted exactly 1 minute.

Trenton got kicked off and Daddy's little girl to to ride. Then there was the Ava melt down.  Ava wanted to hold the drink bottles.  She kept trying to open them so we put an end to that.  Of course the Diva didn't like that either. (more hysterical crying).  We had to make a pact to keep everyone happy.  We would stop at each bench along the way and everyone could have a drink and then we would move on.  The only problem was the benches were too close together and we were stopping too much.

  No more drinks, just walking...we ARE going to get this hike done!!

Finally we gave in.  Ava won the battle and was allowed to carry her own drink on the condition that she does some walking. 

 

Well at least she's happy. 

Trenton still does not think it's fair he has to walk and he doesn't get to carry a drink.

At this point, we just want to keep Ava happy since we are "almost there" and don't want anymore more embarressing meltdowns.  It's a pretty secluded trail and we seem to be the only ones without bikes and who have little kids...we are clearly being judged on how our kids are behaving.

All kidding aside, it was a fun experience and the lighthouse was pretty awesome.  But in the words of Trenton "Let's not do that ever again".   I agree. 



 We finally get to the hotel and it's swimming time!!  Ava's ready!

Trenton is scared of the water as usual and has already declared that he will not be going down the slide or swimming in the water.  his plan is to play outside the pool.  Of couse we cannot have this and in our best parenting moments Barak and I have made some threats.  If you do not try the slide at least once we will take away your starwars toys.  Trenton debated if that would be worth it or not and decided that he can live without the starwars toys.  He will not go in the water.  We are done compromising.  Barak took Trenton up the stairs of the slide and convinced him(more like made him) go down the water slide with him.  At the bottom he said he thought it was fun but didn't want to go again.  seriously?! 

He is going again....and alone this time. Barak and I decide we will trick him and barak will go up the slide with him and then sit TJ in front of him like his is going to go down with him again and we decided we will actually just give him a little push and he will "accidently" go down alone.  Another Great parenting decision(we are just full of these).   So he gets to the top, barak pushes him down and what do you know?  Trenton loved it! from then on he went down alone.

The next problem is the water.  he has a great fear of getting water up his nose.  This may have been the result of another great parenting decision a few years ago where I may or may not have dropped him under the water....

So he has this fear, and rightly so.  But i'm tired of it and he needs to learn to swim.  so for $1 I bought a little intertube blowup thing and convinced him that he will not go under the water if he's in it.  I even demonstrated it on Ava who loved it.  After much convincing he finally was pursuaded to try it.  Turns out he loves the water.  It was hard to get him out of the water.  This is a BIG step for him.  He talks about going back in the water all the time now. 

By the way, Barak liked the slide more than any of us. I

went down 4 or 5 times with Ava. But barak clearly had the most fun.

The next day we decided to go out to the little lighthouse on the pier at the beach.  This was only 3/8ths of a mile walk along the pier so this should go rather smoothly.  And surprisingly it did. 

This time only I went up in the light house to the top.  great view, but not as high up as the Big Sable Point lighthouse. 

Time to play on the beach! 

Ava was getting tired. 

Whew! Long day but we made it.  Less than 10 minutes into the ride home and they were wiped out!