The Chisolm Trail

The return drive from Lawrence goes through the beautiful Flint HIlls, a brief break from the state's characteristic flatness. Its really lovely. And P grew really excited, saying he just Knew we were going back to Colorado.
Me: Yeah? Would you like it if we were heading to Colorado?
P: Mama! No. Mama. We ARE heading to Colorado, I just know it. We Are.
Me: You want to go back to Colorado sometime?
P: Mama! We're going right now! I think I saw the mountains in the distance. We're really going! We are! .... are we really going to Colorado, Mama?
Me: What do you want to do when we get there?
P: Hike!!! Are we really going to Colorado, Mama?

(This is typical P conversation. If I say something he doesn't agree with he tells me the way he wants it to be. I validate that he wants something. He tells me it just IS, he doesn't Want it, it really IS! Then, after reassuring me of the real truth, me nodding all the while along with his reality, he asks me if his reality is really true, or not :)

The kid has been talking about our time in Colorado regularly since last summer. Hike this, hike that. E and I've even talked about moving somewhere more rural to have more hiking (anyone know of somewhere rural with subways that has a NYC vibe? :) So the following weekend we hit the Chisolm trail in Wichita for some hiking. P was in heaven, skipping down paths, wanting to explore every deer trail he saw. As we finally headed to the car he spied an old combine, rusting in the fields.



Oooo, could there be anything cooler on earth? It had been enough of a challenge heading to the trailhead before, now, with the combine, well, forgettaboutit. He climbed and poked and pulled and asked a zillion questions. As the closing time neared we employed one of P's new favorite games to exit peacefully: kissing races. We pick a point and the first person to it gets a kiss. Having required carrying for the end of our hike, P had a sudden burst of new energy and happily skipped ahead to secure his kisses :)