The wife and I took the six year old twins on a great hike today down a creek (Difficult Run for those who know the area) to the Potomac River below Great Falls and Mather Gorge.  Basically my back yard when I was growing up (and before it was the place for the obscenely wealthy to live).

One twin has been sick so we thought we couldn’t go originally.  Our friends who had planned to go with us on the hike-picnic went on without out us, and ended up going down a less crowded path to the River near McClean and the American Legion Bridge of the Beltway.

The other twin was so upset we were not going the wife took her out to learn to ride her bike without training wheels.  I went out to help and next thing you knew she was starting to ride – in a straight line.  Turns were dodgy, stopping was dodgy.  Getting to start was dodgy.  We worked on stopping and holding the bike up, turns etc.  The ‘sick’ twin by this time was out riding too.  She gave a shot at the two wheel mode, but she is a few weeks away still so she went back to the four wheel mode.
Well, once the ‘sick’ one was up we decided to go hiking anyway.  It was fun.  I had not done that hike in years.  It is full of blue rocks in the creek where you can sit and watch the small water cascades as you picnic.  We made it to the Potomac with me carrying the ‘sick’ twin a good portion of the time.  Then the other one (who is larger and outweighs the ‘younger’ one – two minutes younger) got tired.  I can actually carry the two of them quite far when arranged right (one on the shoulders, one on my back).  People just stare at you carrying to kids along this woodland path.  One oriental couple just laughed at ‘ol mule dad.  The wife thinks I am nuts.  We shall know tomorrow.  Not bad for 46.
But the best part of the day was coming home.  The older twin wanted one more run at the bike.  After some final coaching she was up and down the street, turning, everything.  We just sat and watched her ride two wheel while her sister rampaged on four.  It still amazes me how fast a child learns to ride a bike.  Got one more miracle to go.

The oldest daughter flew back from Grandpa’s and Grandma’s in California (she is a junior in college).  The lad went down to Richmond to watch his HS lose in the state championship (they have never even gone so this has been the town of Herndon’s most talked about event).  So everyone is in town for the celebrations tomorrow. What a great day!

Now pass the Advil please….with a martini chaser.